Silas Masters has become one of the most powerful men in London as the owner of one of the most successful gambling dens in the city. He’s both revered and feared by men and seen as an object of desire by women, but Mercy Kittinger doesn’t see him that way at all. The dastardly man has won her family home in a game of cards against her useless brother and now it’s up to Mercy to sneak into his rooms and steal back the vowel. But of course, her plan goes awry when Silas returns to his rooms just as Mercy is trying to slip away. With no excuse for being where she definitely should not be, Mercy seduces Silas into a night of passion, thereby distracting him and then leaving before sunrise with the vowel securely in her possession.

Mercy returns to her quiet country life and resumes her normal routine, and though she burns at the memory of the night she spent with an unexpectedly compelling man, she’s thankful that she’ll never have to cross paths with him again.

Silas Masters does not take kindly to thieves, even beautiful, seductive ones. He notices the missing vowel, deduces what happened, and sets off in pursuit to give Mercy a taste of her own medicine.

The first book in this series was a bit blah for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one and I was therefore shocked by how much I loved it. Mercy and Silas were just fabulous together. I loved how she roused his protective instincts and yet was so independent and it was ultimately her who had to be strong and declare herself to him. I found it quite interesting that in this case it was the hero who was insecure and afraid of rejection. Mercy and Silas were an excellent match, and both needed each other more than I think either even realized at first. Their chemistry was explosive from the beginning, and I greatly enjoyed that much of the time Mercy was the aggressor and Silas was just bowled over by her and by his unexpected reaction to her. It was utterly charming to see Silas just completely mind blown and flummoxed by Mercy, only to wake without her and find himself setting off in pursuit of her despite all his other responsibilities. Silas and Mercy were both flawed, real, relatable characters and I loved that they grew together and brought out the best in each other. Neither of them had really ever had someone they could rely on, and it was nice to see them develop that dynamic over the course of Silas’ time in the country without them realizing it was even happening. The chemistry between Mercy and Silas just leapt off the pages anytime they were in proximity to one another in such a way that it made this book really special. Call me old fashioned but I’m a sucker for a hero who defends his lady and we got that here along with a capable and sexually aggressive heroine and I couldn’t have been more on board with it and how well done it was in this book. I loved this story, and I can’t wait for Gwen’s book now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lord have Mercy!

I do think this is Sophie Jordan's best book. Mercy, does a desperate deed to keep her farm. I'm not giving anything away when I say that Silas Masters gets thoroughly ravished, three times. This act is uncharacteristic for both Silas and Mercy. They start with a bang, but its when Silas follows her to Shropshire, that allows Mercy and Silas to develop a surprising friendship. Fresh, fun and yes, steamy.

I enjoyed Mercy and SIlas (not so much a rake, but very discriminating and that's fantastic). I can't wait for Gwen's story.
Recommend.

A Sophie Jordan book is always a good read for historical fans. I have particular enjoyed The scandal of it All. I guess I expect something different in the Ton life.

This is the second book from the new Duke Hunt series. Interesting but an easy read. Bede Kittinger, twin brother of Mercy who are farm gentry, looses their family farm/home at a gaming hell to Silas Masters. Twin sister Mercy heads over to retrieve it at any cost. Seduces the Silas, while trying to retrieve the markers, instead in desperation she steals the marker. Silas Masters is no fool and follows Mercy back to the farm and recognizes the hard working young woman holding her family, which includes her wayward twin and younger sister Grace and farm together.

All events leads to a happy ending. Nothing too complicated just a simple slow burn romance. Easy read.
And events leads to a happy ending. Nothing too complicated just a simple slow burn romance. Easy read.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is set in London, England. I enjoyed Mercy's character within this book. This is a fast paced romance story. The writing style of this book is good. This book will be in stores on February 22, 2022 for $8.99 (USD). This is the second book in this series. I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone.

This was my first Sophie Jordan book. I honestly wouldn’t have picked this up if I wasn’t given an arc through Net Galley. I’m so thankful because I would have missed out on this delightful story.

The plot really revolves around Mercy and Silas. There is no danger or mystery here. There is nothing wrong with that, but Jordan threw in some drama at the very end of the book that I would have enjoyed to see more of. That conflict was solved too quickly. It was a delicious little twist. It just played too small of a role.

Now this is how you start a story!
This reminded me a bit of Her Night with the Duke. The characters are similar but the setting and circumstances differ.
The heroine is the best character in the book. I admired her determination and her devotion to her family. I feel like she would be a smut reader if she existed in modern day! Haha
The hero was fine, but I felt we didn’t learn enough about him. I wanted more of his backstory.
I do like the setting of the farm/country side. It provided a different setting than we’re used to seeing in historical romance.
I do think there needed to be a clearer villain but it didn’t deter my enjoyment of the romance.
Tropes include one night stand, forced proximity, gaming hell, bluestocking heroine, and rake.

This story was soooo exceptional! The premise of a deadbeat brother destroying his sisters lives and the not so perfect hero who saves them all, at a very great price. I literally laughed, cried and everything in between. It is an emotional roller coaster ride and I finished it in a day, it was so good! Be aware this is very steamy in parts, but tastefully done. I hope there are sequels!

I was really interested in the premise in this one! It's not one I normally see, so I loved the creativity of it!

Sophie Jordan has done it again with a steamy spinster romance that will send you straight to the showers after chapter three. “The Rake Gets Ravished” follows Mercy as she attempts to steal a gambling voucher from Silas Masters, rake extraordinaire, after her boneheaded twin brother gambles away the deed to their childhood home. The stakes are high and the chemistry is through the roof after a surprise interlude in Silas’ bedroom, but the setting quickly shifts to Mercy’s hometown forcing the heat to turn down to a low simmer. Family loyalty has been a hallmark of many of Sophie Jordan’s books and this one is no different. While Bede will remain in cold storage for a very long time (just when you think he can’t get any worse, reader, he most certainly does) I admired the protectiveness Mercy felt towards her younger sister. Thrilling romance aside, the reminder that sibling love can be just as important was a nice addition.

First of all, I would like to say that this was a great book by one of my favorite authors. Ms Jordan writes sublime in telling her tale. She makes the reader get involved in the story and keep reading until the end.. The characters were fulled developed with thoughts and feeling of their own. There was lots of funny and witty dialog between the main people. I really enjoyed reading and was glad to know this is two in the series titled "The Duke Hunt" which can be read as a stand alone.
Silas Masters owns a poplar gaming hell and is a handsome dude with lots of charisma. He doesn't take no crap from anyone especially those who owe him money. Silas is known as a man who likes women but no woman will trap him into leg shackles. But one woman will surprise him and change his life.
Mercy Kittinge is one woman who vows to get her home back when it was lost in a game of cards. She goes to Silas's room to get the voucher, but is caught by the man himself. Mercy fakes it and goes about seducing the man and well, she gets the paper and disappears.
Let the games begin, because two stubborn people will be in for a surprise when love enters and explodes into a passion that will rock their world.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an hones review.

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan is the Second Book in The Duke Hunt Series. This is the story of Mercy Kittinger and Silas Masters. I have read the previous book but felt this was a standalone book. Mercy works the family farm so when she learns that her gambling brother has lost in at the Rogue's Den. Mercy is off to retrieve that note back. Then she meets the owner of the Den, Silas who both feel a spark between them. But nothing is going to stop her from getting that note but when she gets caught in his office she pretends that she was their to seduce him. The next morning she sneaks back to the farm only to find Silas high on her trial. Loved their story.

When I pick up a Sophie Jordan novel I always expect to be swiftly swept up into a light and fun historical romance. The Rake Gets Ravished is a perfect example of what Sophie Jordan does best. This novel quickly engages the reader, clips along at a great pace, has fun and interesting characters and at the heart has a sweet and low angst romance. Jordan's writing is easily engaging and accessible, she has the way of crafting light hearted historical romances with a nice mix of humor, sensuality and charm. This second edition in her new series is definitely a fun story that is worth the read!

Jordan kicks this story off in high gear between Mercy and Silas. Mercy is a twin and runs her family farm, when her brother gambles away their farm, Mercy decides to steal the deed back from the Gambling Hell Owner, Silas. Mercy expects to be in an out without being detected but she comes across Silas, twice before she is able to escape with the deed. Upon their second encounter, Mercy is taken with Silas' charm and she decides to explore her sensuality with him because she knows this might be her only chance to experience sexual pleasure. After a passionate night together, Silas wakes up with out the charming beauty who tempted him and with out the deed to a newly acquired property, so he decide to investigate this property in hopes to find the mysterious woman.

This novel starts off hot and strong in the sensuality department and then Jordan lets this sensuality softly boil around Silas and Mercy as they both are extremely attracted to the other and trying to keep hands off of each other. I found Mercy to be a wonderfully strong heroine, she is a hard worker, she keeps her family farm running smoothly without her twin brother (who is very selfish), and she takes care of her younger sister. Mercy also is unashamed of her sexual needs and I love that we know that she is not some innocent miss who has not explored her own body. I also love the fact that her decides to take her own sexual exploration to the next level with no regret. Silas is also such a wonderful and kind hearted hero. Upon first glance he might seem like some one who has no cares in the world, but through his interactions with Mercy we quickly discover how sweet he is. Silas at every step puts Mercy first and her needs first. Silas is willing to stand up for Mercy and help her at every step of the way and when he falls in love with her he does not fight it, he gracefully excepts that love for the gift it is.

If you love a soft romance with a Hero and Heroine who learn how to work together, who softly fall in love and who are unashamed of their attractions to each other, than look no further than The Rake Gets Ravished. I would definitely recommend this charming and low angst novel as the perfect way to spend an evening and leave you with a smile on your face.

dammm this is one spicy HR with no slow burn- hello farmer's daughter Mercy- taking what she wants/needs! I couldn't wait for Mercy to get her book after reading book one and I just loved this one. Silas is bound to be honorable but falls for Mercy along the way. Enjoyed we got the farm/country life setting again with this one with a touch of London. Bebe her horrible brother you will want to punch throughout the book so we get some good family drama with this one as well.

Excited to see what we get next!

4 stars
4.5 steam

Thanks to Avon for a copy of this one!

Rake begins with a bang, literally! When Mercy Kittinger goes to reclaim a land deed (gambled away by her INFURIATINGLY RECKLESS brother) from gaming hell owner Silas Masters, she quickly finds herself in a “compromising position” (or maybe two…three!).

I loved Mercy’s spunk, her independence, and her willingness to do anything (or anyone) for the good of her family. Silas is easily likable, though I wanted to know EVEN more about his backstory; he seemed to have a really interesting lead up to his current circumstances.

However, the chemistry between these two is so delicious.

Rake did need more of a…villain. Mercy’s brother, the main antagonist (who was just so pathetic, rotten, and reprehensible) was somehow lacking in character depth! I needed just a little bit…more.

Sophie Jordan just gets better and better. Mercy will do anything for her family. This loyalty to them winds her up in the owner's private rooms at a gaming hell so she can steal back what her brother has lost. When she is caught, Mercy learns just how far she will go to keep her family's home and security intact. Silas is not necessarily surprised when he finds a beautiful, willing woman in his rooms. What does shock him as that the woman has duped him and taken what was rightfully his and vows to get it back.

I loved the unique way these two came together. The chemistry is fantastic every time they are on the page together. Mercy is a strong, willful woman who is not afraid of hard work and difficult situations. Since her parents deaths, she has found a way to care for her siblings and the family farm and its residents, always choosing to do what is best even if it's not what's best for her. I really appreciate that Silas is able to see this fairly quickly and the ways he steps in to be Mercy's support when no one else has. She really has so much on her shoulders so seeing them partner together over and over again was sweet. This book was difficult to put down and so I breezed through it quickly. I would say this is a great book for fans of Sarah MacLean and Lorraine Heath.

This beginning of this story gripped me and pulled me in so that I couldn’t resist reading it to the end, and even them, I was sorry that it ended because I loved the characters so much. Mercy was a strong heroine bent on saving herself and her sister from being homeless and Silas was a rogue with scruples bent on revenge against her. I loved how Mercy took control of the situation at the beginning and how Silas helped her throughout.

Sophie Jordan's February release The Rake Gets Ravished is partially set in a gaming hell, so that's a plus for me. Mercy's TERRIBLE brother gambles away the family property and when Mercy goes to get the deed back from the desk of hell owner Silas, she leaves with the deed and considerably more. One of the reasons I love historical romance is that the misunderstandings and miscommunications are believable. The motivations for the characters' actions generally made sense to me, which I appreciate. It's hard to enjoy a delicious steamy scene between two characters the author has set up to be idiots. But Silas and Mercy are not idiots, they, especially Mercy, are fully realized on the page. I fully recommend this book.

This is a classic Sophie Jordan style book and it’s very good.Our Heroine Mercy is trying to keep her good-for-nothing brother out of trouble and save her farm,along with her employees,that her twin-brother gambled away.She goes to the gaming Hell to steal the contract from our Hero Silas Masters,the owner,when he catches her.She decides to avail the opportunity and sleeps with him,then disappears.Silas realizing that the vouchers are gone sets out find her.
Mercy and Silas pair up nicely and the books has steam,especially the initial seduction scene 😍.Their chemistry is also good and how Silas comes to care for Mercy is very heartwarming.Mercy and Silas both need each other.The witty banter between the character was amusing.
All in all,a good addition to the series.
I requested for an e-arc of this book from Net-galley and the opinions are my own.

The Plot
I thought this plot was quite genius! Mercy and Silas’s paths NEVER would have crossed if she hadn’t had to dig them out of the hole her brother made. Neither were completely content with their lives but weren’t sure what was missing until fate pushed them together. I thought the side plots (her sister’ drama and her brothers lack of concern hid family) were woven in perfectly and helped the characters develop love for each other, not distract from them.

The Heroine
Mercy has a lot of responsibility running the farm, taking care of the house and her wastrel brother and fanciful sister. Until Silas, she didn’t realize how alone she felt or how much she needed a man to take care of her and to help at the farm and raising her siblings.

The Hero
Silas, growing up in the East End, had a hard, troubled childhood, but he made something of himself. He was feeling discontent when Mercy showed up in his room. I was pleased that he wasn’t an ‘rogue’ in the way we usually see; he didn’t have tons of casual liaisons but preferred longer term relationships. He was so sweet to Mercy and helped her around the farm and such without be a dominate male.

The Steam
The opening scene when Mercy, a virgin, skillfully seduces Silas! There is also a pretty spicy scene at the inn.

Stand Out Moment
Umm, the opening scene when she seduces Silas!

Who Would Like This
Anyone who loves a sweet romantic story with some intense passion thrown in!

Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which pleased me greatly as I really didn’t care for the first book in this series. The country setting also made it feel like a truly unique story and it was hard not to cheer for Mercy and Silas!

I received a digital arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh My. This book. Seriously. The passion between the leads is palpable. I loved Mercy. She is my kind of lady, she does what she has to do, she is hard working, loves her family, cares for her home, land and employees, has a side hustle orangery - therefore smells intoxicatingly of oranges.

And when her irritating brother describes the lead as being “without mercy.” I see what you did there Ms Jordan. Yeah he is. He needs some Mercy in his life.
He is a big, hot, sexy, independent, I don’t need anyone, alpha England times businessman/casino owner but underneath that shell he is a big old cinnamon roll who loved and lost his momma and therefore has a special soft spot and respect for the ladies.

This is a delicious and heartwarming read. Open door. Trigger warnings - parent death, remembered child abuse, selfish brother, gambling.

5/5