I absolutely loved this book. Ok, I loathe Kieran’s parents, but otherwise!! The whole thing is a joy. Celeste is so much more than a beauty, but the world (and her father) refuse to see it or to let her be anything more than the epitome of her father’s social expectations. No matter the fact that she wants to make the world a better place and explore and experiment….
Kieran has lived a reckless life, but in trying to make a difficult situation better…well, it all comes toppling down. Now he’ has to reform his ways or his two best friends (ok his brother and his best friend) will suffer the consequences. Asking his best friend’s faultless sister to help him reform his image is a perfect plan! What could go wrong?
Seriously, I was so invested throughout this whole thing. I loved it. I was cheering in places, I was angry at times, I was ranting to my husband about men…but mostly, I just couldn’t put it down!! I can’t wait for the next one!!

The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes features a "respectable" heroine and a "dubious" hero, both of whom are misunderstood by family and friends. Celeste, the "respectable" heroine desires to be herself outside of the gilded prison, in which she's been placed. She desires adventure, love, and a walk on what society perceives as the naughty side. Unfortunately, she's albeit engaged to a respectable, mommy's-boy Marquess in other to elevate her working family's status with the ton. Kieran, the hero, his older brother, and best friend are all being forced to marry respectable women in other to avoid being cut off. Because respectable venues to meet respectable women are unavailable to him, he makes a deal with Celeste that he'll help her take her walk on the naughty side in exchange for her help gaining entrance into respectable venues where debutantes can be found. As such, he take her to an orgy, a date with artsy folks where he reveals his love of poetry, and a few other venues. She gets him entrance into a respectable ball. The two fall in love, but have to find a way to overcome the villain (Celeste's albeit fiance) in order to be together.

Let me start out by sharing my bias for this review. I adore Eva Leigh and consider her to be one of my favorite authors. Almost all of her stories grip me and result in numerous emotions. I'm addition, she knows how to bring the heat and this book is no exception. Overall, I absolutely adored this book. Both characters were well-developed and I could understand both of their motivations to get what they desired. I also believed the love story. It wasn't a story that went immediately from lust to love in other to complete the HEA. Both characters were aware of their feelings throughout the story. The story also moved at an appropriate pace and left me eager for the next book in the series. Also of note, I thoroughly enjoy the new feminist bent to Historicals, in which consent and autonomy are extremely important. Readers who desire more traditional values probably won't love this book. I give this book a 4.75/5.0

Eva Leigh and her Scotsmen are at it again.  In the first volume of this brand-new series, bad boys meet good women and find themselves tempted by family ties.  The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes combines Leigh’s characteristic spice with some earthy language and a heroine who doesn’t back away when confronted with her guy’s naughty side.

Notorious rake Kieran Ransome is in deep trouble.  After years of carousing, he’s finally caused a scandal big enough to upset his father – providing an out for his best friend (also his sister Willa’s fiancée) Dom, who jilts Willa at the altar because his Dark Past will not allow him to Sully Her Reputation And Soul By Marrying Him.  Lying about Dom’s true motive, Kieran and his brother Finn now have to marry before the end of the year or face major consequences – they’ll be cut off financially by their families.

In desperation, Kieran turns to Celeste Killburn, Dom’s sister, for help in cleaning up his reputation.  Everyone loves Celeste, and her reputation is beyond reproach. But Celeste wants to Live and Have Adventures not just maintain a clean reputation so she’ll be accepted by the ton.  Celeste agrees to introduce Kieran to some classy girls –if he’ll take her into London’s notorious underbelly so she can Experience Real Lust and Life before marrying a stuffy Earl. She wears a mask, becomes Salome, and experiences all the gambling hells, erotic salons and wild drunken partying she’s been denied.  But Celeste’s lessons in lust soon prove to be far more hands-on than anticipated – and she and Kieran find themselves falling in love.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes is decadent in the best of ways.  We have a rake who writes erotic and romantic poetry falling in love in spite of himself, and a seemingly sweet miss dying to don a mask and find out about gambling, those ubiquitous erotic books, and all the various social ills she must avoid to come to the marriage bed pure as a daisy.  Leigh has fun, the reader has fun, and even a cameoing Beverly Jenkins has fun.

Leigh’s overall message – that everyone has different sides to them, no rake is purely a rake, no society miss a pure society miss – is a true and fun one.  Kieran and Celeste have wonderful, earthy, evenhanded chemistry.  Kieran is a good guy who cares about his family, though his parent’s cold marriage has turned him off the subject.  Celeste wants to avoid the family mantle for awhile, which doesn’t mean she doesn’t like her folks.  In between, there is much erotic temptation to be had.

I liked Kieran’s beery, brawling relationship with Finn, and the book does a great job setting up those that will follow (if Dom and Willa don’t end up back together, I’ll eat my hat).  The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes is marvelous and worth a good, long afternoon’s enjoyment.

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The opening chapter with the aborted wedding was very confusing to me, I thought this would be the main characters but it wasn't. Otherwise this was a competent story of a well worn trope. I wasn't wowed by the characters nor did I feel their chemistry.

When Kieran Ransome’s latest antics result in a massive scandal, his father issues an ultimatum: find a respectable wife or inherit nothing. But as one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels, Kieran doesn’t know any ladies who fit the bill. Or does he?
Celeste Kilburn is a society darling, beloved by influential members of the ton. But keeping a spotless reputation leaves little room for adventure and she longs to escape her gilded cage, especially with her impending engagement to a stuffy earl. When Kieran—her older brother’s best friend and an irresistibly attractive rogue—begs for her help, Celeste makes a deal: she’ll introduce him to the right social circles if he’ll show her the scandalous side of London.
In between proper teas and garden parties, Kieran escorts Celeste—disguised as “Salome”—to rowdy gaming hells, wild fêtes, and sensual art salons. As they spend more time together, their initial attraction builds to a desperate desire that neither can ignore. But when someone discovers their midnight exploits, Celeste’s freedom and reputation are endangered, and Kieran must save the woman he loves… respectable or not.
Kieran and Celeste are meant to be yet there are obstacles in the way.
This book is a good example of love and respect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I absolutely ADORED Kieran and Celeste's story! I don't often gush like this over a romance, in fact it's been a while since I loved a book this much. I finished it in less than two days (and nights of course) and the worst part was that it ended! Also that I can't pick up the next story in the series immediately breaks my heart. Patience is a virtue, as they say.

Kieran and Finn Ransome, along with Dominic (Dom) Kilburn, find themselves in a pickle after a disastrous mistake (in my opinion, at least) leads to a scandal for both their families. As a result, their parents put an ultimatum of marriage to respectable women or penury to them. All or nothing, as well, meaning they all must meet the demand or they all will be cut off. Kieran, the youngest of the group, decides he'll take the initiative to solve his part of the deal first.

He crafts a perfect plan - enlist Celeste Kilburn, Dom's sister and an absolute paragon of respectability, to help him enter society as a serious man on the hunt for a wife. When the story begins, this group of rakes is all but outcast from Polite society, and have no clue where to begin. What he doesn't expect is for Celeste to make a deal of her own in exchange for helping him. She wants to experience the wilder side of London, specifically the type of wild hedomism he knows best.

Celeste has been her family's paragon of respectability since their rags to riches tale means they don't have the advantage of nobility to fall back on when one misbehaves. She's nearly engaged to an uninspiring Marquess, for whom she feels nothing romantically. Her whole life in society has been dictated by the need to be on her best behavior, and she's itching to break out of this shell and live life, even if briefly, with passion and adventure.

The banter between Celest and Kieran is quick and witty at times as well as serious and poetic at others, and you can't help but fall in love with them both individually and as a couple. They have major obstacles to overcome and eventually get their HEA but not without some serious plotline suspense! I loved the way they beat the worst one of all, you'll have to read it to find out!

Steam level: 4/5 (on-screen love scenes that were scorchers aided by some wicked dialogue)

Okay I will say I found parts of this book to be predictable, but I read so much historical romance that it might just be a problem for me. The only part that I couldn't figure out was how Kieran was going to get the out of their little dilemma. While it was predictable I was so into it I still couldn't put it down and am very eagerly awaiting the books for the other two men who need to get married.

Kieran Ransome created an unintended scandal. Now his father has issued an ultimatum: make a respectable marriage within a year or be cut off financially. Kieran only knows one miss above reproach: his best friend's sister, Celeste Kilburn; and he's hoping she'll help him gain acceptance in respectable circles. Celeste wants the opposite: to have freedom for adventure and not worry about keeping a spotless reputation. Their time together builds their attraction until neither is willing to ignore it anymore.

This is the first book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series, where two brothers and their best friend/nearly brother-in-law must reform and find above board brides. Kieran is up first, and he's much more a soft-hearted rascal than a troublesome rogue. That's not how his parents see him though; they only have time and affection for their heir - not the spares. Meanwhile, Celeste's father's trade money may have opened some doors, but she's under pressure to keep up a sterling reputation and marry to cement the family's place in society.

I love their bargain: appearance of reform and introduction to proper ladies for him, and adventurous outings for her. Dressing up in a wig and cosmetics, Celeste dubs herself "Salome" and she and Kieran visit a gaming hell and uninhibited parties. Spending this time together, they are able to connect and see the sides of each other that they don't normally get to display. Celeste encourages Kieran's poetry, and he encourages her charity work. They both inspire each other to speak up for what they want in their lives. (4.5 stars rounded to 5).

Tropes: Brother's Best Friend/Best Friend's Sister, Matchmaking, Lessons, Disguised

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #TheGoodGirlsGuideToRakes #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I justed finished this one and I loved it!

Kieran Ransom has an ultimatum from his dad after his last scandal : he has to find a respectable wife or he won’t inherit anything. Being a scoundrel doesn’t help. He begs his Best Friend’s sister Celeste Kilburn who is a society darling. Celeste makes a deal with him : She will introduce him to the tons which will help him find a wife but he has to show her the scandalous side of London.

“That’s the trouble with hearts. They involve themselves, whether we want them, or not”

This book healed my book slump. I loved how Celeste and Kieran are a like in many ways. Even though Kieran is a scoundrel and Celeste is a good girl, they have something in common : They both don’t feel seen and it’s wonderful when they both see each other. Celeste sees Kieran’s potential and Kieran’s sees Celeste as her true self, adventurous, full of life and mischief. Celeste feels pressure to be the perfect daughter and has to put her family and society first while Kieran’s family expect nothing of him but scandal. Kieran’s vulnerability touched me in so many ways. Celeste and Kieran have amazing chemistry, the dirty talk was *chef’s kiss*...I blushed reading some parts.


I really hope we will have more in this series. I loved the side characters, I can’t wait to read Finn’s and Rosalind’s books.

Okay, I’m jumping right in - I freaking loved this story. Eva is such a good writer. She has written one of my favorite book boyfriends and now I need to add Kieran to the list. Celeste asking Kieran to show her how to let herself fly and it is done so well n this story. Not salacious but very sexy. Poets, fabulous parties and just being who we want to be - Eva shows us that it is all attainable. Can’t wait for the other stories in this series. Fantastic story.

Kieran Nicholas Ransome. along with his brother Finn and friend "Dom" Dominic Kilburn, have to find good respectable brides since Kieran and Finn helped Dom Holt their sister Willa.

Kieran has a plan, to ask Dom's sister Celeste to help make him respectable. Celeste does not see this as possible until her father demands she accept Lord Montford, our villain, if he proposes. So she agrees to help on one condition.to

The story does start off slow and a bit dry, however, once you get past the opening four chapters it gets good and delves into the first of the three rakehell, scoundrels story on redemption.

So join in the fun, spurious, wicked adventures of Kieran's redemption as he goes from the gaming rooms to ballrooms of London's ton events. Join in with how Celeste gets her half of the bargain, which you will thoroughly be scandalized over.

As with any redemption you have the guilt over the cause and what to do next. Here you have a tremendous amount of delirious characters that will encourage, bolster, and assist in witty repertoire, dreams coming true, and the happenstance inbetween. The romp through London's seedy side to sumptuous watering spots, to salacious salon's and dinners will have you enthralled, laughing, and wanting to throw a few at Jackson's pugilist
members or non members.

Get ready for the Random brothers and Dom to work their way into your hearts

I came so close to just giving up on this book. It was very repetitive and predictable. I basically kept on reading because I’d accepted an ARC and felt that I owed it to the publisher to read the whole thing before I gave it a bad review. And I was somewhat curious to see how the hero and heroine could get out the dead-end romantic trap they find themselves in where Celeste’s father insists she marry a wealthy earl and Kieran’s parents are forcing him and his brother and best friend to all get married to respectable ladies. Kieran’s solution to their dilemma was the only surprise in the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review.
The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes was was enjoyable hot heated romance I love everything about this book of a gem. I will pre-order this book 5 star read




Happy Reading Lisa 📚

I took a break from my holiday binge read and squeezed in a historical romance because I was in the mood for one! Who doesn't love a reformed rake paired with a society darling. It's a well acknowledged fact that reformed rakes make the best husbands 😏😆 Am I right?⁣
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I've always loved Eva Leigh's books so I was super excited for The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes. I think I ended up loving this one even more than her previous series. She always writes such vivid characters who have delicious chemistry between them! ⁣
Here we have Kieran, the third son of an earl, who now faces an ultimatum from his parents after he and his brother helped their best friend - Dom run away from his wedding with their sister, with misguided good intentions🤦🏻‍♀️ So, now they need to clean themselves up and marry a decent, respectable lady or be completely cut off.⁣
And he has the perfect idea to seek help from Dom's sister, Celeste - the only respectable woman he knows. But what he doesn't expect is that the seemingly docile Celeste has a hidden rebellious streak and agrees to help him with a condition - he needs to take her to all the disreputable places a lady could never venture into.⁣
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As someone who comes from a nouveau rich family, she faces a lot of pressure from her dad to marry well and she's almost engaged to a stuck up earl though all she wants to do is escape. So, she wants to have some fun!⁣
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I think my favorite part was how three dimensional the characters were! They have many facets to their personalities. Just like how Celeste is a respectable lady, who wants to stay true to her roots and help people who were in the same situation as her. She's not just a lady who wants to have fun. She wants to be free and do many other things as well. Kieran is also not as reckless as he seems. I loved his sweet side, the poet in him and his neck fetish lol 🤣⁣
The best part was definitely the chemistry and the dirty talk! Eva Leigh's books have the perfect amount of steam! This one comes out in Feb next year so make sure to add it to your tbr!✨

The new series from Eva Leigh, Last Chance Scoundrels, has wonderful potential based on book one, The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes.

He needs to repair his reputation in order to meet eligible women. She wants to take a walk on the wild side just once before she has to marry the man her father thinks will cement their status in society.

Celeste has cultivated a placid exterior but she has an adventurous heart, a sharp mind, and a clever wit which cannot be on display for her and her family to succeed in the eyes of the “ton”. Her family’s nouveau riches come with constraints. To find some freedom, she makes a deal with her brother’s best friend.

Kieran thinks she’ll be a liability when they explore London’s “dark” side as she will be out of her element and need protecting, but he finds out that he may be needing protection from her.

Just like all of us, Celeste and Kieran are complex and contradictory. As they spend time together they come to appreciate each other’s contradictions. The gaming hells and parties were the initial draw for Celeste, but Kieran becomes the adventure that Celeste had been looking for all along.

Leigh brings a former couple back from her Union of the Rakes series. Curtis and Rowe show up at a party which was a nice touch.

I look forward to reading about the remaining Scoundrels as they only have one year to find and marry a respectable woman.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An aside: Normally when “good girls” attend these types of events in other books they wear a domino mask and wig but Celeste used only makeup and a wig. This may have been far fetched for me but then again people see what they want to see.

I loved this so much. Kieran and Celeste are just so perfect for each other. I did want him to punch her intended but I still throughly enjoyed what he did instead.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I loved this book. In it, Keran Ransome is forced by his parents to stop his rakish ways and marry a proper lady within one year. He enters into a pact with Celeste, his friend's sister, who will help him meet ladies of the right breeding and in return he will introduce her to some late night adventures so she can experience more of life before she is married off. The entirety of the book is mostly them "dating" by going to events and places together but they are so cute and clearly enjoy spending time together. There is a little conflict that keeps them apart, of course, but they do get their HEA and hearing about their exploits are very enjoyable. I will definitely read the next two books on Finn Ransome and Dom Kilburn, the two others that also need to marry within a year.

This book is about Kieran who is a Rake, and his family has had enough. They told Kieran, his brother Finn and his friend Dom they must marry a respectable woman by a year, or they would be cut off. The problem Kieran has is he is not accepted by respectable families, so he needs help from the most respectable lady he knows, his friends Dom’s sister Celeste to help him be accepted so he can meet respectable ladies to marry. Celeste is willing to help him if he does her a favor. This is where the heat spices up. Did Kieran become totally respectable, or did Celeste find her true self who has some hidden desires. This book was very enjoyable with some heat both physical and spoken.
I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion

Kieran Ransome has been involved in his last scandal if he ever wants to continue to receive his allowance from his father. In order to make amends, he must find and wed a respectable woman within a year or he'll be left destitute. Problem is the only respectable woman Kieran knows is his best friend's sister and Society's darling, Celeste Kilburn, but will she be willing to help him repair his reputation? Celeste Kilburn is trapped by the expectations her father puts on her to lift the family social standing by marrying Lord Montfort, but she doesn't love him. When Kieran asks for her help, she says yes, but only if he'll agree to show her some of the more scandalous places in London. Kieran has no choice and agrees and when he begins to see a new side of Celeste, his feelings for her begin to change. Would Celeste ever agree to be his?

I liked Celeste and her desire to experience so much more than what a respectable young woman is allowed. Most of the book is about her finding her true self and her desires while Kieran also changes as he begins to have feelings for her. This is not the usual regency romance and there's lots of graphic sex scenes/talk so the reader should be warned if you don't prefer this in your romances. I'm not sure I'll read anymore in this series.

If you're looking for a romance that'll turn up the heat this winter, a romance that'll keep you flushed as well as satisfied, then you're going to want to cavort into balls and gaming hells with society good girl, Celeste Kilburn, and poetry-writing rakehell, Kieran Ransome.

They're sheer steam and decadence together! They're pure scandalous delight! Let's just say they know how to get those fires roaring red-hot, you know what I mean?

The story begins with an ultimatum: either Kieran, his brother, Finn, and their friend, Dom, reform their wicked ways and find respectable wives within the year or they inherit zilch. Nada. Celeste is the most well-bred lady Kieran knows in ton so he enlists her help. Pleads for it. Which she gives him, of course--but for a price.

Celeste, weary of the gilded cage she's been thrust in by her father, resentful at having to carry the entire weight of the family's respectability on her shoulders, agrees to introduce him into polite society if he shows her the more disreputable side of London. She wants to taste freedom, you see. She wants a chance to "let her hair down" and be young, wild, heedless, and bold before she's forced to into a loveless marriage with a priggish earl named Lord Montford.

And that, my friends, is how their mutually beneficial arrangement is struck!

It isn't long before Kieran and Celeste begin to enjoy each other as much as their late night romps together, however. So what starts out as a friend-helping-friend bargain soon blooms into a clandestine love affair and romance that's as sinful as it is sweet.

Talk about a scrumptious read! I loved how Celeste's virtue, her compassion, married with her more adventurous side. She was a lady in the streets and a wanton miss in the sheets. Likewise, Kieran had the delicious wickedness of a good rake but the soft heart of an esteemed gentleman. His poetry could bring almost any girl to her knees, too. I mean, SWOON.

All in all, Celeste and Kieran were scandalously good together. Complementary. They also had great support and understanding between them, with great chemistry. I'm so looking forward to the next books in this series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper and Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review.