The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes is the first book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series by Eva Leigh. A fun and fast-paced read with a twist in play at the end that I didn't see coming. I can't wait for the second book in the series.

Kieran Ransome and Celeste Kilburn strike a deal with the devil when they agree to help one another in The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes Last Chance Scoundrels, #1; the start of a charming new series
Kieran is responsible for a massive society scandal. Celeste just wants out of her gilded cage that keeps getting smaller and smaller as an Earl’s proposal gets closer and closer. They agree to help one another.
Kieran is the third son of an Earl, and manages to live down to his parent’s low expectations. Kieran has been invisible to his parents almost since birth. The scandal is about the only time they have taken any notice of him and his brother, the spare.
If one is not suited for the church or for the army, there isn't really much left except a dissolute life for the sons of the peerage. If Ransom, his older brother and his best friend don’t find respectable wives in a year, all three will be disinherited as all played their role in the scandal.
Celeste is the daughter of a self-made millionaire. Going against most everything I have ever read in an HR, the Kilburns have been accepted into the highest levels of the ton, but only on sufferance. This is one of the reasons Celeste is one of the most prim and proper young ladies, and why her upcoming proposal from an Earl is such a coup.
The bargain: Celeste will help Kieran regain acceptance to the very best of society and have the chance to meet a respectable girl. In exchange, Kieran will take Celeste, suitably disguised, to his steamy, dissipated side of life; the gambling halls, scandalous art salons and wild fetes.
At times Leigh’s writing is so touching. “Women had very little for themselves in this life. Their worldly goods were usually the property of husbands or male relatives. Their bodies counted as a man’s property as did any children. Females’ reputations belonged to everyone. At the least”
Celeste and Kieran quickly develop an attraction and then a strong hot bond, especially since Celeste seems such a natural entering into Kieran’s milieu. Suddenly Celeste feels as if she can breathe for the first time. Oddly enough Kieran also seems to be a natural entering hidden parts of Celeste’s life.
Leigh adds a bit more oomph to the story when a villain tries to take control of Celeste’s life. She writes a clever solution that has one cheering Kieran and his friends.
The sex is close to the top of the Scoville Heat Units scale, so is the language.
I was annoyed that Kieran thought he couldn’t court Celeste as one didn’t ever court best friends' sisters. Even though said best friend had been engaged to Kieran’s sister. I think this storyline will be book 3 of this series.
Overall I found The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes to be a fun entry into the HR genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper/Avon for sending an ARC for review purposes. The opinions are entirely my own.

Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Eva Leigh has an emotional depth and sensuality to her writing that I have not seen in many other historical romance books. While her prose are not flowery or overwrought with descriptors, her writing manages to reach into your mind and latch on to your heart almost immediately. We are promptly thrust into the moment that creates the conflict of the series, which is to be expected and can seem a tad sluggish as the author sets up the premise in detail. However, the plot moves quickly and our main characters are swiftly introduced as they formulate a plan that is beneficial to both their predicaments.

Kieran is man who lives by his own designs and must make himself presentable to polite society in order to capture a proper bride. Celeste is a woman who is trapped by the presence of polite society and desires to escape the confines of her family's responsibility. While one embarks on lessons in respectability, the other embraces the freedom of unleashing the self within. What we get to enjoy is the wonder and amazement Kieran feels in discovering who Celeste truly is, and how deeply he falls in-love with it. It is, without a doubt, one of the *most* romantic books I've read in a long time.

While there is a villain, Leigh manages to use him rather lightly, with a simple conflict adequate to the time frame of the genre. The majority of the book about 20%-70% is between our main characters and while they don't even kiss until the 50% mark, when they do... Hoo, boy do they kiss. And they don't stop there.

There's only a total of three sex scenes in this book, but the sexual tension leading up to each one, the emotional depth behind the characters choices, and the length and sensuality of each one made this book feel so much hotter than it seemed.

Oh and the ~~Dirty Talk~~

There's nothing better than a hero who knows how use a well placed "fuck" and "cunt".

And when it came to falling in-love, we fell HARD. While I mentioned the villains role is light, Kieran and Celeste's response to the conflict is anything but. They're feelings of longing are so deeply developed, the despair, the wanting, the way their hearts break with the acceptance that they may not be together just chews you up and spits you out. I felt so much anxiety while reading I wondered if I'd be able to actually finish!

And what only kept me going was that knowledge that as a romance reader it HAS to work out...
right?

The biggest flaw with the story I would say is the characterization of the parents (and older brother) on either side. I understand the reasons behind their motives, but more often we were simply told about them and their personalities so while I was very annoyed I didn't care too much. And when it came to the conflict resolution caused by said parents, everything seemed a bit too tidy. With overbearing or mean parents I generally expect a bit more substance to the resolution that pure acceptance. (But as this is an ARC I'm not holding that against the book)

I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of this and look forward to the continued adventures of Kieran's brothers and best friend.

I’m telling you, there's a reason I don’t watch soapy television series. I can’t handle the car crash angst (as I like to call it). Unfortunately, Eva Leigh’s, The Good Girls Guide to Rakes, is more angsty than I normally sign on for in a romance novel, and honestly, I’ve made my peace with it. I will say this isn’t full out head on collision with two maserati’s angst - more along the lines of 2 broke ass mopeds with flat tires lumbering toward each other in broad daylight. In other words, I love this book a ton.

A Little Bit of Plot
This is the first in the Last Chance Scoundrels series, which I believe consists of three books (Kieran, Finn, and Dom). The aforementioned scoundrels are given an ultimatum - find respectable brides in 1 year time or be cut out financially. Enter Dom’s sister, Celeste Kilburn who acts as a docent into the respectable world of Regency era England for unrepentant rake, Kieran Ransome. In exchange for acceptance into the proper world of the tonne, Kieran must introduce Celeste, disguised as the mysterious and alluring Salome, to all the carnal and lascivious sights not accessible to your average debutante. As she is promised to the odious Lord Montford, Celeste considers this her last chance to truly experience life before entering into marriage. Leading to Kieran lusting for a taken woman and Celeste wishing for a way out and everlasting love.

The Compliment Sandwich
The Top Bun (The Pro)
Kieran’s Love of Celeste
Spoilers! This is a romance novel, so obviously the hero falls in love with the heroine after many trials and tribulations. I’ve started to see a trend in new historical romance that the hero falls in love first and falls HARD. It’s actually the dudes doing the swooning.

Like Grey in Elizabeth Everett’s “The Perfect Equation”, Kieran Ransome is a kind and amiable man who hides behind an outward exterior. In Kieran’s case, he truly is a fastidious rake and scoundrel that without provocation of possibly losing his inheritance would continue on in that manner until he either contracted an STD or drunkenly fell off a horse. What I love about these characters, however, is that while they aren’t actively seeking love, they embrace it when they do fall.

But then she said, “We’re not always who the world believes us to be.”
He looked into her eyes, a mix of green and brown and gold, and the ground beneath his feet went unsteady, as if unmoored by her perceptiveness.

Kieran is absolutely enthralled and a bit devastated by the realization that he and Celeste are quite alike. He considered her a bit too respectable to pursue for any type of dalliance and yet, he’s lost upon discovering that she has hidden depths and analogous desires and proclivities.

Love blossomed in his chest and spread its tendrils through him. He was dizzy with it, and she was the fixed point in his spinning universe, holding him steady.

I don’t want to spoil too much with this book but I do want to reference the amazing GG that Kieran pulls off. I can’t describe it lest I spoil; however, it’s a twist that I didn't see coming. Nonetheless, the lengths that Kieran goes to give Celeste her freedom are beautiful. Lastly, let's just say that when Kieran breaks (because he does), it’s massive, and he’s an absolute mess…and I’m here for it.

Fury burned in Kieran’s eyes and for a moment, Celeste truly feared that he’d leap across the room and slam Lord Montford’s head into the fireplace’s marble mantel. But then, without a word, he paced toward the hallway. At the threshold, he swung around to send her one final, searing gaze, before stalking away. A moment later, the front door slammed shut-the sound of her heart breaking.

Upon until meeting Celeste, I’m not sure Kieran would have invested any interest in delving too deeply into the workings of his heart or emotions. Personally, I think that’s one of the reasons why Kieran falls so hard, is that Celeste comes out of nowhere and knocks him on his ass.

The Meat (The Con)
Angst. I just can’t, guys. Maybe that makes me a bit daft and overly sensitive, but I don’t care. I like my romance fluffy and my love affairs a straight line - no triangles for me, thank you very much. Not that there was truly a love triangle in this story, still, I don’t need a ‘other woman/man’ issue.

The Bottom Bun (The Pro)
Celeste freaking Kilburn

I love strong ladies, especially in historical romances (for reference, see… all my previous reviews). What I found refreshing about Celeste is that at a number of times she proved to be brave, witty, sexy, and independent while still upholding her familial expectations. From jump street she lays the ground rules to Kieran, they have until the end of the season (2 months) where in which she enjoys her last vestiges of freedom while making him into a respectable gentleman. She’s skirting ruination and he’s seeking salvation: Parallel’s abound, folks!

On their many exploits, while disguised as Salome, Celeste begins to burgeon into this sensual and self-autonomous being. After participating in a somewhat impromptu, semi-public burlesque, Celeste and Kieran have this flirty exchange:

“I’ll want my garter back,” she said brazenly, holding out her hand.
“I claim it as my prize.” He patted his chest.
“What have you done to merit such a prize?”, she challenged.
“The fact that I didn’t haul you off the stage to ravish you in some darkened corner deserves some recognition.”
“Men think that they’re champions if they don’t behave like beasts. Hurrah, you’d done the absolute minimum”.

We discuss this so often on the podcast of when gauging where the minimum level of civility is today - the bar is on the damn floor. Pick it up, guys.

I read a review online (and I promise this won’t be me bashing another reviewer - see my other reviews for that) that stated they were tired of the independent and self-sufficient woman trope in historical romance novels. I completely understand, I disagree wholeheartedly; but that’s their opinion. While Celeste is not your ‘new norm’ as an HR leading lady, (I mean, she only starts ONE charity throughout the novel and I don’t believe she’s a bluestocking - so obviously, lame!) I think it must be acknowledged that for most of the historical romance written within the last 50 years, the heroines, generally speaking, tended to be akin to a Scarlet O’Hara- type figure. Therefore, by comparing the two, she’s a damn paragon of feminist ideals. Historically, I believe daytime soap operas, and shows like Dallas and Dynasty, have fed into this callous, conniving, backstabbing (yet still virginal) romantic lead dynamic. As a reader, when you reread HR from the 80’s and earlier, it’s filled with these flaky, ‘damsel in distress’ type characters, and I’m not interested in that storyline anymore. It’s boring, flat, and not representative of current society and is opposite of what most female readers feel reflects their own experiences wherein they can connect to the material.

I want to point out one line that absolutely encapsulated Celestes journey, which is actually Kieran’s observation of her:

“What I mean is that Salome isn’t merely paint and scandalous dresses…Salome, I see now, is you. She’s part of you. Bold. Daring. A touch naughty, and completely in command of herself. I can even hear you in her voice, that touch of Ratcliff that your father wants to repudiate but is so important to who you are. All of that has always been within you, but as Salome, you can finally embody that part of yourself. You’re setting Salome free.”

It may be a sign of the times we are living in, hell, I’m a huge SJW so this may just be conjecture, however, I feel as though we need more stories like this. While not historically accurate, and I’m suspending disbelief, yada yada yada, I’d rather a young person today pick up this novel and enjoy this wonderful transformation rather than some hollow tripe regarding a vapid debutante and some agro possessive hero. Fight me, internet.

All of that verbose diatribe aside, I very much enjoyed this book. I’ve read other Eva Leigh novels and this one definitely did not disappoint. Also, I didn’t mention it before but this book is hot as fuck, y’all. And our girl Celeste not only is unashamed of her sexual curiosity, but loves dirty literature. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Scarlet.

This was a fun historical romance and a great start to this new series. The book features favorite tropes like brother's best friend/best friend's little sister, forced proximity, and bargain/agreement. I both read and listened to The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes, and I really enjoyed the set up for the novel and the author did a fantastic job laying the foundation for future books.

Kieran and Celeste couldn't be more different on paper, but it becomes clear that looks can be deceiving as they spend more and more time together. I loved the evolution of their relationship and how vulnerable they were with one another. Celeste is trapped in a gilded cage and I was cheering her on all the way as she experienced life and fulfilled her sexual desires. The reformed rake is not my favorite hero, but watching Kieran slowly realize his feelings and fall head over heels was the best. I also appreciated that Kieran and Celeste were honest with each other about their feelings after Lord Montford's reveal, even if the situation felt hopeless at that moment. Things wrapped up quite conveniently, but these two were wonderful together and I loved that the guys all collaborated to make the happily ever after happen. I'm excited to read Finn's book next!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars

Zara Hampton-Brown is a new to me narrator and I enjoyed her performance a lot, but I didn't love her male voices. There were times that I had trouble figuring out if Kieran or Finn was speaking if they were in the scene together.

CW: blackmail, strained family/parental relationships, classism

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

This is my first Eva Leigh novel and oh boy did I love this one.

Kieran Ransome needs a respectable lady and Celeste needs someone to be wicked with. Match made in heaven.

Kieran Ransome is my favorite book boyfriend of 2022. This man y’all. He writes poetry, has a dirty mouth (god I love that in a historical romance), and supported Celeste so wholeheartedly. He’s just…so dreamy. I LOVED his relationship with Finn. It was so sweet to see their bond on paper!

Celeste is such a GREAT heroine! She tries so hard to resist Kieran, but in the end, respectability isn’t as important as making Kieran hers. Their late night rendezvous were absolutely delicious. And I’m not joking when I say the dirty talk was just….so good.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you to Netgalley for an E-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

A really cute historical romance!

Kieran Ransome ends up causing a scandal so his father issues an ultimatum: marry a respectable woman or he's completely cut off. The only respectable woman Kieran knows is Celeste Kilburn, his best friend's younger sister. She's tasked with keeping a spotless reputation to help her family, which is stifling. So they make a deal: Celeste will introduce Kieran to polite society and he'll show her the scandalous side of London (in disguise). But the more time they spend together, the more their desire for each other threatens to cause problems. And when someone discovers their exploits, everything they've been protecting could come crashing down.

First off, I love how Celeste knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to make it happen. She seems to demure amongst the ton but she has so much personality hidden inside. Kieran is a complete rake, but the best kind that are loveable and not actually so bad. Reading about their adventures was really fun and the conflict was completely understandable. I just wish that the pacing was a bit different, particularly at the end where everything moved a bit too quickly.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy historical romance stories with strong female characters. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Finn and Dom's stories as well.

I loved this one! The good girl and bad boy trope is definitely a favorite of mine. This book is utterly swoon worthy. Kieran Ransome is a devilishly handsome rake with a poets heart. He, his brother Finn and their friend Dom are given an ultimatum by their families. They need to find respectable brides within a year or risk being cut off financially. Kieran turns to the only respectable woman he knows. Dom's sister Celeste. He wants her to help him repair his reputation and introduce him to potential brides. She agrees to help him if he will help her by taking her on scandalous outings by night. Celeste is being forced into marriage to an Earl by her father and wants these experiences while she can.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This a new author to me and the first in a series about a trio of friends that must settle down and find respectable wives. Celeste is the prim and proper sister of one of the trios and a bargain is struck with Keiran to be reintroduced to society after long being a Rake. Celeste's comes from poverty and her father plans a "good" marriage for her to move up the social ranks.
Celeste wants to walk of the wild side before marriage and settling down and this is her and Keiran's story. The story is a bit slow to start as it lays the groundwork for the series. I liked the side characters and look forward to their stories especially Finn. Their adventures and hot and steamy as we watch them fall in love. The twist at the end is a nice touch. I rate it 3.5* and round up.

I loved this so much! This is everything I want in new historical romance releases! A bad boy with a heart of gold, a heroine finding joy when society tells her not to, and chemistry, passion, and sparks a plenty.

Kieran is under threat of losing his income by his parents unless he finds a respectable bride ASAP. Celeste is just the woman for the job, especially considering she is his best friend's sister. A perfect lady in every sense of the word. Her only demand is that Kieran take her to the dark side of London to show her all the sensual delights forbidden to her, before she makes a respectable match at the end of the season.

He reluctantly agrees, and sparks quickly turn into full blown flames between these two.

I loved how much depth the characters had, and how every nighttime outing or afternoon tea let them see a different side of each other they weren't expecting. This was a pure delight from start to finish and I loved every single page.

I'm a sucker for a good rake story (I mean, who isn't) and this one was a delight! Kieran, aforementioned rake and secret poet, must marry a respectable woman or be disinherited. When he asks his friend's sister Celeste to help him get accepted by polite society she agrees to do so--only if he will show her the more scandalous side of London inaccessible to a society belle like her.
It would be easy to write these two characters as one dimensional but they are complex and the fact that they fall for every part of each other--swoon! Celeste is more than a prim & proper society girl attending teas and balls and Kieran is more than just a fun loving rake spending his nights in gambling hells. The relationship development is so much fun--who doesn't want a supportive partner who sticks up for you when the time comes. Plus the sex scenes are hot. I can't wait for books two & three in the series--hopefully we'll get a glimpse or two of Kieran & Celeste living their happily ever after.

Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyage and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc.

What a wonderful historical romance! Both main characters were exceptional and fun and multidimensional. I loved their midnight fun! In this book Celeste trying to reform Kieran at his bequest so he can find an exceptional match and marry to fulfill an ultimatum from his father.

Celeste and Kieran are well matched. It’s always fun to see the “shy, quiet” lady get to show her real colors. Also it was quite interesting how instead of adding a bunch of unrealistic sex scenes she added a bunch of stolen moments with dirty talk. Bc I enjoyed the stick it to the villain moment at the end. Well thought out and funny. I loved all the side characters and cannot wait for Finn’s book and Dom’s whom I can’t decide is he’ll get the second chance or not my guess is yes.

Overall I enjoyed this light romance read and would definitely read more of Eva Leigh.

I appreciated the slow burn of this book, but something about it fell short to me. It realize that it sets up the next book as a smart-ass and bluestocking, and the third book as a second chance between Kerian's sister and best friend. Sadly, I'm more excited about the next title.

I really loved Celeste and how she bloomed into her own person throughout the book. For me, she stole the entire show. She went from a meek, perfect girl to a woman who wanted to enjoy life.

Such a heart-warming historical romance!

This book, so far, is one of the 2022 books I've read with a lot of highlighted quotes. Eva Leigh writes so beautifully. There's something incredibly poignant about how the author writes about living a life unbound. Our main characters, Kieran and Celeste, are endearing and well-meaning individuals bound in familial loyalty. I enjoy their conversations, and I really like the build-up of their relationship. Individually, I admire Celeste and her empathy. She also has a relatable struggle, trying to be your authentic self but couldn't for an image your family tries hard to uphold. The way she thinks is frank and witty. The same goes for Kieran. The only difference is how their family treats them. I also like how very astute they are of each other and other people, something they honed as they lead a life of deception.

Another thing I like about their relationship is how they communicate. It's emotional to read how both characters want the best for each other, even at the cost of their happiness. I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for the e-ARC.

The blurb sets this story up nicely. Kiernan is about to be cut off from his father unless he marries. Kieran has a reputation as a Rake and his father wants a respectable lady as his wife. The most respectable lady Kieran knows is the younger sister of his best friend Dominick Kilburn, Miss Celeste Kilburn, and he approaches Celeste in a fun way to get her aide in finding a bride. But while Celeste is respectable, she has secret needs and tosses back a deal of her own to help Kieran get what he wants. He wants to be respectable to get a bride. She wants to be dangerous before she’s made to marry.

With attraction and chemistry between these two…what could go wrong?
More importantly, what could go so very, very right.

I adored this gorgeous story and my first from the author. I have a thing for the best friend's younger sister/brother’s best friend trope. Maybe it’s because as a younger sister I had a few crushes on my own brother's friends that were always unrequited and love the chance to see it come to fruition in my romance novels. The trope allows the couple to have a surface level history together and then gives ample opportunity for the couple to learn more about each other…intimately. I do love the moment when they first realize they are IN to this person they’d previously put in a box and shelved. But shelves contain novels and novels are full of chapters of inked words upon sheets of paper and between the sheets of this book, this couple gets hot.

"Theirs was a relationship of mutual usefulness, and nothing more."

Though Celeste has harbored an crush on Kieran for years, seeing the infamous rake lay his reputation on the line and reveal his true self to her has her heart belonging to him quickly. How can you refuse a man with kohl around his eyes reading poetry that you inspired and not fall?

I looked forward to each outing between these two whether it be in the daylight or after midnight. I love how easily Celeste brings Kieran into the fold of proper society and how Kieran shows Celeste the life of freedom very like that of a Bohemian artist. The parties of loose morals, the after shows at the theater… he not only takes her as part of their bargain but as he begins to see who Celeste truly is under the pressure to be respectable, Kieran is more than proud to have her on his arm. If only the way he felt in the dark could translate into the day and into his forever.

I have to comment on the way the author uses consent. It’s important but some do it in such a mechanical way that it can pull me instantly out of the scene and the story. But Leigh uses it as almost foreplay, as another act of intimacy between Kieran and Celeste and it’s incredibly sexy. Having Celeste say exactly she wants done as a form of consent just raises the heat level and makes the sexual chemistry between these two ignite.

I do love that this series is set up for the three men, brothers by blood and choosing. Between the brothers, you can see Kieran who is a poet, losing his heart and falling head over feet for Celeste. What we get from Finn, it’s going to take one hell of a woman to break the shell around his entire character just to get to his heart. I think Finn’s meddling may lead to his own marriage. As for Dom…I fell in love with him in chapter one and can only hope with my hopeless romantic heart that the story is a second chance romance with a certain young lady. *crosses fingers*

I adored this story and will refrain from my usual redheaded ramble to just say I am hooked on the author's words and have made it a point to attack their backlist with the gusto of a woman who knows her mind and will do whatever necessary to live by her own convictions.

Celeste Kilburn's father worked so hard to bring the family out of a life of poverty. As the only daughter, Celeste is being pressured to marry Lord Montford so that the family can become part of the nobility. Kiernan Ransome is the third son of an earl, and he has lived a care-free life avoiding responsibilities and rules. When his parents tell him and his brother that he must marry within a year or they will be financially cut off, he makes a deal with Celeste. Kiernan will take Celeste around town on various adventures, and Celeste will help transform him into an eligible husband. As Kiernan and Celeste spend so much time together, their attraction grows. Celeste goes on adventures with Kiernan in her Salome disguise, and she regains her independence.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Celeste and Kiernan. However, I found some of the scenes in this book to be a bit trite. I couldn't take Kiernan's poet duel seriously. I liked the inclusion of Finn, Kiernan's brother, and Dom, Celeste's brother. I feel like Leigh started a plot line with Dom and his ex-fiancée, and I thought that part of the plot felt unfinished. Nonetheless, fans of Lisa Kleypas and strong female characters in historical romance will enjoy this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes is the delightfully sexy and sinfully sweet first installment in Eva Leigh’s new series, Last Chance Scoundrels. It’s also a real winner, after a couple of books in her prior series which were somewhat underwhelming.
What instantly drew me in was the way it set up and then delivered on a variation of one of my favorite tropes. Celeste has been sheltered, but is anticipating an undesirable marriage proposal, and has a lot of pressure on her to secure her family’s standing in society, as they are “new money.” I love that she has a mind of her own and seeks out Kieran to introduce her to the scandalous side of London so she can live for the first time in her life.
And Kieran is also such a great hero. While at first he primarily is looking out for his own interests, I loved how he really came to see Celeste for who she was during their adventures. I easily became invested in them as a couple, and loved that there were some high stakes attached that presented challenges to them being together, making them really have to work and be clever to reach their HEA.
And I also mentioned in a review for a similar book, but I love how this one challenged the double standards and misogyny around the “best friend’s sister” trope. Both Celeste and Kieran challenge Dom’s “overprotective brother” attitude, and ultimately, when things are tough for them, Dom is relatively easy to convince to support them once he realizes what Celeste has been going through and how Kieran only wants the best for her.
And I had heard via Twitter that Leigh had written a literary cameo for fellow historical romance author, the legendary Beverly Jenkins. I was so hyped when I reached that particular moment, and it happens to be one moment of a few that highlights a look at the more diverse London outside of the glittering ballrooms of the ton.
This book is fabulous, and a return to form (imho) for Eva Leigh. If you love historical romances with independent minded women and the roguish men who love them, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

I enjoyed this new one from Eva Leigh - it was a sexy story of a noblewoman trying to experience some life before being forced into a marriage and about the rake who is ready, willing and able to show her the sexy side of life in Regency England.

Tropes: forbidden love, best friends sister, marriage mart, Titled hero, virgin heroine, ton society, rake hero, childhood crush, forbidden love, beauty and the beast, quid pro quo, rages-to-riches

The Plot : I thought the plot was clever and had such depth. As it started, I assumed it would be a simple friends to lovers tale, but the way the characters completely morphed and revealed themselves when around each other was so amazing and sincere. Celeste and Keiran are the first to see each other as who they really are and want to be. It definitely pulled at my heart strings; doesn’t everyone want someone to truly SEE them as they really are and not just what they present to the world?!?! Eva Leigh did a great job of making their discovery of each other sincere and not rushed or even surface level.

The Heroine : Celeste was born in poverty but her family has since moved up the social ladder. She lives a very nice, comfortable albeit boring life that she compares to be being trapped in a cage. She is almost-engaged to a handsome, boorish man, but he doesn’t make her heart flutter like Keiran does. She feels (and reinforced by her father and brother) that it is her duty to be a perfect, respectable lady so they don’t loose their social standing, including marry well, specifically Lord Montford. I really liked Celeste’s character. She knows what she must do, but she vows to live for herself and experience things before she can’t.

The Hero : Kieran’s family has put him in the box of rake, trouble maker, spare to the heir, but he is so much more. He acts the way he does because his family believes him to be that person and nothing more. They tease him about his poetry and even burn his notebooks. His mother barely notices him. Watching Celeste morph into her real self, he realizes who he really is as well. He is completely deserving of having major angst as a character, but Eva conveys just enough of his inner turmoil that I wasn’t annoyed or felt sorry for him. It made me love him all the more!

The Sex : Yes. Yes. Yes. Eva Leigh is a master at describing not only the physical, but the emotional as well. Again with the sincere and believable, at times I felt I should look away because it just felt so intimate…but of course I hung on every word!

Stand Out Moment : Goodness, their were several! When he tells her in great detail what he would do to her if he were to seduce her, her reciting, from memory, scenes from a scandalous book, the entire evening at the theater when he reveals himself a poet…

Who Would Like This : Those who desire a very steamy read but with characters that have real depth. You don’t always get both with romance books!

Final Thoughts : The storyline was amazing, the love genuine, the sex descriptive, the characters deep…I can’t wait to read it again!