The owner of London’s most popular gaming hell, wealthy and powerful Silas Masters, is feared by men and desired by women—except Mercy Kittinger. When the blackguard wins her family home in a game of cards, Mercy steals into Silas’s rooms, intent on destroying the proof. But things don’t go to plan…
She would have her way with him...
Caught in the act, Mercy must be bold to save herself...even if it means seducing the dangerous rogue and then disappearing with the dawn, debt voucher in hand. Safe at home and determined to settle back into her quiet, uneventful life, Mercy burns at the memory of her night spent ravishing the most compelling man she’d ever met. Thank goodness she’ll never see him again!
He didn't see her coming...
No one trifles with Silas Masters. Even if he could forget the dark-haired seductress who undid him, he can’t allow anyone to steal from him. He will hunt down the sultry woman who haunts his dreams and show her just how sweet payback can be.
Her brother is a rap scallion who gambles away her home and her life. Can Silas make everything right? Will Mercy find love as a result?
Sophie Jordan has written a winner. This is an amazing story.
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.

Oh my goodness! I loved this book, and literally flew through it in just a couple hours.. It was the perfect book to start 2022..
Mercy and Silas are such an intriging couple. All Mercy wants to do is take care of her younger sister, and stay on the farm that she grew up on. Her brother on the other hand just wants to gamble, something he is not even remotely good at.. THis is how Mercy and Silas meet.. When Mercys brother looses the family home and everything in it to Silas she knows she needs to come up with a plan to steal the voucher back..

When she walks in to The Rogues Den, Silas' establishment she doesn't expect to have such an immediate magnetic attraction to him.. However she is determined to save her home, and ends up in his bedroom.... and is caught..
I don't want to give to much away even though Im sure you can guess what happens next.. but lets just say that after Mercy finds what she is looking for she leaves early the next morning, and when Silas realizes what happened he goes to the farm and confronts her..

I just love the way Silas and Mercy are together.. even though she stole from him, Silas doesn't want anything or anyone to hurt Mercy.. When she needs help with something he is right their by her side, whether its helping her get a plow unstuck from the mud, or tracking down her wayward sister and stopping her from making a scandalous mistake Silas is always right there.. They go from lust, to friendship, to love which snuck right up on both of them.. Their story is steamy, and heartwarming.. and when they finally professed their love I let out a sigh of relief..

I have already preordered a signed copy of this book from Katys Budget Books, and can't wait to put it on my shelf next to the rest of my Sophie Jordan collection.. I also looked ahead to see who the next book will be about and Im so excited to see who will be the right man for than particular lady..

Oh my goodness, this book was perfect. Spinster Mercy Kittinger does the unthinkable and tries to steal back the deed to her family's farm (which her brother lost) from Silas Masters, the much-feared owner of London's top gaming hell. While there, he catches her and gasp! to distract him she seduces him and leaves no longer a virgin. Finding out he's been robbed, Silas tracks her down and sets up residence to see if she's expecting his child. Every Sophie Jordan book is perfectly paced and this is one of the best. So many historicals stall out in the third act and trudge to the end, but Jordan's sprint along and are always over too soon. Another hallmark of a Sophie Jordan novel is that they are always so sex-positive, with the characters giving frequent and enthusiastic consent. This was one of the best historical romances I've read this year! 10/5 stars.

I was a huge fan of the first book in the series, The Duke Goes Down. I’ll give Sophie Jordan credit here and say I was upset this whole book because Bede was the absolute worst?? But the story was one I wanted to follow, even though the hero of this story had no compelling qualities or much of a background to make attached to him. Well written heroine who stuck to her guns!

This is one of my favorite books of this year. The hero and heroine are amazing. I was surprised The whole way through the book. I did not know how this book was going to be. I really enjoy bugs that keep me on my toes. I’m usually a good predictor of how her book is going to turn out to be. And this one was a great surprise. This is must read if your a Sophie Jordan fan.

A small town romance, a forced proximity trope, and a one night stand that quickly spreads into a wildfire romance are the highlights Silas and Mercy’s story. When Mercy’s brother’s gambling habits land their family in financial trouble, Mercy will do anything to get back what they lost, even if it means stealing what her brother lost from the man who he lost it to, Silas. Silas is the owner of a gambling establishment, and the story starts when he catches Mercy in his office as she is stealing the deed of her family farm back. Almost immediately sparks fly between Silas and Mercy, and what was supposed to be a one night stand swiftly turns into more. Jordan illustrates she is capable of delivering a hot and steamy romance with a happily ever after if that is what you’re looking for in your next book. She’s an easy and captivating read that I sat down with one evening and finished later that night because I just could not put it down.

This second installment of Jordan's "The Duke Hunt" series is a steamy page-turner! If you loved the heat between Imogen and Perry, you won't believe the off-the-charts chemistry of Mercy and Silas! It takes right off and doesn't stop.

Country girl Mercy Kittinger makes an emergency trip to London to save her family's farm after her no-good, gambling brother Bede callously plays it away. More on him later.

Mercy invades the gambling establishment of Silas Masters to steal back her brother's voucher and gets caught in his bedroom by Masters himself. She then decides to live out her lustful fantasies and seduce him - partly as a cover to her crime but mostly because he's HOT.

This book is steam level SCALDING right from the first chapters. I couldn't wait to see how these two would find their way to each other. I loved watching them become friends and Silas' sweet support of Mercy. It's a lust-to-love story with a good plot and a villain, Bede, who you wish someone would just shoot. Seriously, he's the WORST.

Mercy and Silas's story will have you looking forward to the next book in this delectable series and everything else by Sophie Jordan may quickly end up in your TBR pile as well. Her books are always a delight! This was a lightning quick, easy, escapist read for me. I appreciate receiving an ARC copy and highly recommend.

I felt this book was completely rushed. The "rake" in question was never established as such. In fact, it was mentioned several times that he preferred monogamy and longer relationships. Mercy was a total martyr who let her bratty sister and horrible brother run all over her. I literally could not believe that she would have sex with a man she just met. I did not think their was "heat" between the MC's. Overall a disappointing read.

Mercy once again is bailing her brother out of trouble. He is a gambler without any luck. Mercy goes to London fix his latest lose. She meets Silas there. Sparks fly. But can they have a lasting relationship? It doesn't seem possible. She returns home and Silas follows. Read the book for the rest of the tale. I enjoyed this book. Ready for Grace's story!

I've read a zillion such novels but this is a new author to me. And wow! Now I'm going to have to purchase all of her books to read! But great H/h especially H. And great, HOT sex scenes. We LIKE steamy scenes. If you want "sweet" there are plenty of those on amazon--find one you like and use the related books section to find more. But if you want steamy, well, start here! Well done, author!

Silas owns a gaming establishment in London. Mercy’s brother Bede loses the family farm to Silas. Mercy will do anything for her family, even if it means going to London and stealing back the deed from Silas. When Mercy is almost caught stealing the dead, this is where it gets hot. To say this book has heat and chemistry between Mercy and Silas would be an understatement. I really loved Silas, he stepped up and helped Mercy when her own family did not. Silas had a gentleman way of looking and treating women. Mercy was a strong woman and did what she needs to do to protect her family. Mercy’s family members were very selfish and spoiled. This was an enjoyable well written book which I finished in a day (of course no work was done in my house). I have not read other books in the series, and I had no problem reading this book, but I think I will read all of them because the author writes an enjoyable story.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and am giving my honest opinion.

Mercy Kittinger would do anything for her family and to save their farm that her wastral brother gambled away including seducing the gaming hells owner Silas Masters. When Silas catches Mercy in his private quarters, she surprised him to his core by thoroughly ravishing him before disappearing. Silas can't get the elusive woman out of mind and sets his sights on tracking him down. Mercy never expected to see the handsome rake at her farm, but he's not leaving until he's sure she's not carrying his child. Can Mercy keep her growing feelings for Silas under wraps or will she succumb once again to the sexy rake?

This was definitely a steamy book as Mercy and Silas have sex right at the beginning. I did find Mercy's actions a little unbelievable for a virgin even though she had read and studied her brother's erotic books. I did like her though, a woman who would do anything to save her family from ruin including sacrificing herself. Too bad her sister and brother did not share her honorable convictions and they both weren't very likeable characters. Silas started out as a dangerous man to be feared by all, but once at Mercy's farm, his character was completely diluted to a vanilla version of his former self. There are graphic sex scenes and some of the descriptions of their interactions are strange as the author tries to paint a picture their interactions. Not sure if I'm interested in reading any more in this series.

This was disappointing. I love a good regency romance, but good is the operative word here. The premise looked interesting, but as it progressed I became more and more convinced that it was not for me. The idea that Mercy would have had no romantic relationships and yet have extensively studied her brother's erotic literature collection and be ready and willing to put that study to use stretches plausibility. But I could have forgiven that if the writing style hadn't grated so.

We have such phrases as "he husked" -- which I take it means his voice was husky, not that he suddenly started husking corn. Even that I could have forgiven.

However. Then I encountered this sentence: "Those unfurling lips were like a forest on a moonless night, with all kinds of magic humming below the surface, out of sight, but real and present." And that's where I decided my time could better be spent elsewhere. Sails unfurl. Large pieces of cloth unfurl. While lips miiiiiiight be described as "furled" I have never seen them described as "unfurling." Not to mention the rest of that ridiculous sentence.

Not for me. If you like overly flowery and slightly strange similes, or can forgive them more easily than I, then you might enjoy this book very much. I care about writing style too much to do so.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an e-arc for review.

I have said it before and I will say it again...grabbing up the latest Sophie Jordan novel is a complete no-brainer!

While some authors begin to feel as if they are simply "phoning it in" after producing a string of great novels, Ms. Jordan's style continues to evolve in the most delicious of ways.

In this second book of her new "The Duke Hunt" series, we meet Miss Mercy Kittinger who is cursed with a reckless, dimwit of a brother who has gambled away their home. Desperate to save their farm and home, Mercy ventures to London, steals into an infamous gambling hell and retrieves the vouchers, but then her plan goes awry.

Now, I'm not going to rehash all the details provided in the story's synopsis above and instead I will focus on why I loved this story so much that I read it twice!

I loved how Sila's quickly assesses the issues Mercy is dealing with that led to her theft of the gambling vows, but instead of just taking charge to fix things, he works along side Mercy offering the support she has never had before.

The friendship that grows from this, along with the underlying tension of their undeniable attraction to each other makes for a real page turner.

The story is both sweet and sexy in a perfect balance that makes the new conflicts that pop up at the end heartbreaking but the final resolution OH SO GOOD!

This is one you will not be able to put down until the last page is read!

I love a bold heroine who gets what she wants! This book starts off strong and steamy and then relaxes as we get to know all the characters. I loved both the heroine and the hero. They both have strong, compassionate, and loyal personalities. I love how determined and protective the hero was. Her siblings both drove me crazy, but I’m sure they were written to do so. All together a sweet steamy novel that’s worth a read.

I received an advanced copy of this book to review, but the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Silas and Mercy were wonderful. Mercy's brother on the other hand. I kept waiting for Silas to plant him a facet or have him thrown from his horse or something. I felt so bad for Mercy. Silas became her champion and Hero.

This book is a typical small town romance with Silas, the male protagonist and owner of a gambling establishment, learning to appreciate both the country and Mercy, the female protagonist.

I thought that Silas and the countryside had a very well developed relationship where he learned to appreciate a way of life he had never seen before. I do wish there had been better development of what the farm was like. I felt like we just got vignettes of the farm.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the chemistry or the development of the relationship between Silas and Mercy. It felt tepid at best and, given Jordan’s previous books, I was expecting scorching.

However, Mercy is a well drawn and developed character and Silas is one of the best developed characters I’ve come across this year. I could really picture him and understand him.

All in all, a three and a half star read that I quite enjoyed reading. It just wasn’t what I expected.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Sophie Jordan for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Jordan is on my list of auto-buys for both her historical and contemporary books, so I jumped on the opportunity to request a copy of this eARC! “The Rake Gets Ravished” is book 2 in a new series. It is most definitely an improvement on the previous book, which was good but felt underwhelming to me.

I enjoyed that the MC took her destiny into her own hands, going to London to get back the deed to her family farm after her twin brother recklessly gambled it away. Once discovered she again takes destiny into her own hands and seduces the rake – not because she has to but because she wants to. What follows is a slow love story that develops as the two spend more time together. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

“The Rake Gets Ravished” is the second book in the series, The Duke Hunt by Sophie Jordan. I think this story was a step up from the previous book and I thoroughly enjoyed it very much although there was no mentioning of a duke in sight. As to my “pets” with historical romances, this story jumped right off the page into a gaming den and steamy intimate relations on the part of the heroine more so than the hero.

The story begins with a naïve Mercy Kittinger, who in order to keep their home and farm, enters the gaming den of proprietor, Silas Masters to steal back the note. Mercy’s has selfish brother, Bede, who gambles away their livelihood and only thinks of himself when doing it. That was one character that I disliked in this entire story but aided to the plot. It was his lack of judgment that had Mercy, who has sacrificed her life for her family, now making a bigger sacrifice to keep her family together despite her brother’s antics. In the process, she decides she would enjoy the experience as she would never get the chance again.

After she steals the note and compromises herself to obtain it, Silas discovers what has happened and tracks her down. After he finds her, decides to stay at their family farm on a pretense of her being with child. His stay turns into a budding relationship that leads them on a path to love. My only drawbacks to the story were that there was real villain, although the story seemed to start out with the makings of one and close the end, having another but not actually producing one to close that part of the plot. I thought it unbelievable that a known rake would given up a big moneymaking venture, such as his gaming den, for love. It didn’t seem plausible but I guess it worked. In addition, the ending felt a bit rushed and could have been developed a bit more.
As mentioned, this book of the series was quite entertaining and enjoyable. Recommended read
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Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
This book started out hot and steamy! Mercy's brother Bede bet the family farm at a gambling hall and lost. She goes to London to steal the deed back from Silas the owner of the club. He catches her in his room and she seduces him. When he finds the deed missing, he follows her to the farm. I loved the characters in the book and the way the story played out. It is a wonderful read.