Rescued by a Rake. My fellow readers. I love a good spy romance novel set in historical times. Readers this book did not disappoint me at all. Lucy and Monty traced across London hoping to find a dear loved one, little did they know certain things were brewing.
I enjoyed reading when Lucy and Monty shared wonderful moments getting to know each other. Their talks. Their sharing of ideas and sharing personal things about themselves was very sweet. What better way to meet a match. The book is not to intense for readers who like a little mystery and spy action to their romance reads.
The book is an easy read with great entertainment. I give this book two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on! #RescuedbyaRake #NetGalley #cherylbolen #Goodreads

Intrigue and adventure has found the Beresfords once again. This time it is cousin, Lucy Beresford's turn. Lucy travels to Harriet's London home in order to meet her cousin's new esteemed husband. However, she finds that they have traveled to Brighton as guests of the Prince Regent. Lucy also has an ulterior motive for this visit, to place an ultimatum before her six year fiance... marry me or set me free! With the aid of her fiance's best friend, Arthur Lansbury, the 4th Earl of Montague, they find that Thomas Hutchinson has been missing for several weeks with very few clues to his whereabouts. A little digging later and the two are off on a merry chase for further clues that might lead them to Hutch. Along the way, Arthur discovers that plain Lucy is not so plain, a pretty face is only one part of beauty. Lucy finds that she is not so timid after all, she has a voice and can make herself heard. Will they be able to track Hutch down? What will happen when and if they find him since during their journey, they have developed a mutual attraction to each other? In the meantime, there is the matter of the foreign assassin (s) sent to murder someone high in English government? Who is it and will the plot be uncovered in time. This author's books are always a delight to read. I am loving this series of which this is book #4.

This is the fourth installment of The Beresford Adventures series and is filled with mystery, adventure and romance. Lucy has been betrothed for six years and is tired of waiting, so she heads to London to tell her fiancé, Thomas, it is time to marry or break the engagement. But when she arrives she learns that he is missing. She then asks for assistance from his friend, the Earl of Montague, Monty, to help find him. Monty agrees and they soon find themselves on a great adventure, facing danger and learning that her fiancé may be involved in espionage. The story is full of mystery and suspense as the pair go in search of Thomas. As Monty spends more time with Lucy, he doesn't see her as the plain and shy girl she has been described as, but more as an intelligent and delightful woman he seems to very much enjoy the company of, and he finds himself falling in love with.
The story was entertaining and enjoyable and I found myself captivated from start to finish. The characters were well-developed and interesting and I enjoyed following their story. A lovely addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Historical Romance with Mystery and Intrigue

Lucy's fiancé was missing, and she did not know where he might be. It's been six years since they got engaged, and she was at the end of her tether. It was time to get married or end the betrothal, but she must find him first. His best friend, Monty, might know where he was; however, Monty was just as puzzled as Lucy. As the two went searching for the missing man, they would have a journey of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and deadly danger. On their quest, they would fall in love. Could they act on that love? What would happen at the end of their adventure? I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who like historical romance with suspense, mystery, and intrigue.

Rescued by a Rake by Cheryl Bolen is a mystery as well as a Regency romance. Arthur “Monty” Lansbury, the fourth Earl of Montague was puzzled by the fact he hadn’t seen his friend, Thomas “Hutch” Hutchison for a week or more. That was very odd so he went to Hutch’s home to check on him. They had not seen hm for a week, either, even his valet, which was decidedly odd. Lucy Beresford had been at her cousin’s home for two days and even after sending a missive to her betrothed, she had not seen him. They had been betrothed for six years, and it had been almost that long since she’d seen him at all. It was obvious he didn’t want to marry her, but he would have to see her in person to cry off. When she worked up the nerve to go to his home, who should she run into there, but Lord Montague, on the same errand. They decided to join forces to find him. After asking around Monty discovered he was in Bath. Lucy insisted on accompanying him, despite how it would look and how it would damage her reputation if discovered. No sign of him there, either, but Monty did see the letter he had sent his mistress, asking her to join him in Bath. It was not Hutch’s handwriting or spelling.

Arthur was a confirmed bachelor and a rake of the highest order. Lucy was plain and shy. This “investigation” was just about more than she could manage. As they searched, she became more enamored of the earl, which was decidedly inappropriate and she knew it. She was an excellent character, one who couldn’t travel by coach if she had eaten; there would be disastrous consequences if she did. Arthur was an honorable man and Lucy was testing him. She may be plain but her wit and intelligence shone through and made her beautiful. She was betrothed to his friend; it was hands off. Enticing characters! This was a good story, and they solved the mystery on the thinest of clues, all the while maintaining a platonic relationship. It was well worth the read, as always.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Rescued by a Rake by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #CherylBolen #RescuedByARake

Miss Lucy Beresford has watched her beautiful cousins get married and has lost patience with the man she's been betrothed to for years. It's time he married her or freed her.
Lord Montague is worried because his best friend seems to have
disappeared after an upsetting night at the gaming tables.
The characters in this historical romance have a big mystery to solve. There is danger to face, and reputations on the line. Our heroine has to step well outside her comfort zone, and our hero learns that a woman can be interesting without being obviously beautiful.
Good fun.

Lucy is tired of waiting for her fiancé to set a date for their wedding, and she has come to town to push for a commitment or call of the engagement. She can’t find him. She sends for his best friend, Lord Montague, who is also looking for Thomas (her fiancé). It seems Thomas truly is missing or worse, dead. As they work together to find out what has happened, they begin to fall for each other. Will they find Thomas? Whatever the outcome, they hope to find their own HEA. This is an exciting story. There is adventure, mystery, danger, and romance. Monty and Lucy work so well together; they just fit. The secondary characters are very entertaining. Hannah’s attempt at difficult words is hilarious. I always enjoy Cheryl Bolen’s stories, and Rescued by a Rake is no exception.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

4 1/2*STARS*
Lady Lucy Beresford is determined to face her betrothed (RELUCTANT BRIDEGROOM) to either marry her or call it off after leaving her dangling for six years. Arriving in London and staying in her cousin's home with only her maid and staff, she sets out to find the Honorable Thomas Hutchinson. Arthur Lansbury, the 4th Earl of Montague, is Hutchinson's best friend. He hasn't seen Hutch for several days with no clue where he is. Lucy is determined to find him with Monty's help. More questions with less answers seem to lead them on a wild goose chase, until they find some leads with the Foreign Secretary. A high-ranking man is to assassinate a high-ranking Brit? Lucy and Monty are falling in love, but they won't give up until they find Hutch and save their country.
A romantic regency mystery with a kiss or two and hugs.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading that the main characters overcame their own shortcomings. Lucy has a plain appearance, she’s ordinary looking and she knows she’s not a beauty. Her father has betrothed her to Mr. Hutchinson, but after waiting six years for him to marry her, she finally travels to London to ask him to marry her, or to break off the engagement so she can find another marriage partner. Lucy is not overconfident, but decided to stand up for herself more, although she has to overcome herself to do so. The fact that she hasn't heard from her fiancé in all that time and she's never met his best friend confirms her lack of self-esteem, her feeling of being insignificant. In this situation she meets Lord Montague, or Monty (not a very attractive nickname IMO), the very handsome and attractive best friend of Hutchinson. He knows it is unlike his friend to just disappear. The story quickly picks up pace as Monty realizes his friend is missing because he might be involved in spy matters. He and Lucy go search for him and Monty soon learns to look beyond Lucy's insignificant looks and see her true qualities; that she highly intelligent, well-informed in matters of politics and nothing like the shallow women of the ton he is used to.
I liked that Lucy had insecurities but made an effort to overcome those, it made the character more real. The only character development Monty had was that he had to get used to conversing with a woman and the idea that she also has a brain and can think, which I thought was pretty superficial of him!

“Sharing confidences with and soliciting the opinion of a female was alien to Monty. No woman had ever before managed to insert herself and her ideas so thoroughly into his life. Now, he was taking it a step further by treating Miss Beresford as an equal partner in his efforts to find Hutch. How in the devil had this happened? He had to admit the woman was possessed of an intelligence that could challenge most men he knew. For that, he was grateful.”

I do think the writer jumped too fast from two people who don't know each other to the feeling that they are in love. The story mainly focuses on the thriller of the disappearance and the espionage story, and suddenly Monty and Lucy are in love. I would have liked it better if the story progressed a bit more gradually, having witnessed seeing them fall in love over time.
There aren't many secondary characters. There's Hannah, the very knowledgeable maid who makes you laugh over and over because she keeps using the wrong word, resulting in really funny puns. And Cummings, Monty's valet, who is very capable and enterprising, which I enjoyed reading.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Entertaining, romantic, and adventurous, make this book most enjoyable, as Lucy Beresford attempts to track down her betrothed to present him with an ultimatum: marry her or cry off. Lord Montague is also worried about his friend Thomas Hutchinson who has disappeared without a trace, but when he receives a request to meet with Lucy, he knows he cannot avoid assisting her in her quest as they have a mutual goal. The novel is suspenseful and takes them across the country in their search for Thomas, and Monty discovers that although Lucy has been described as being plain, she really is intelligent, knowledgeable about subjects he is interested in, and in fact entertaining. Her maid Hannah brings a hilarious quality to the plot, as does Monty's valet. Discovering the truth about Thomas is quite dismal, but bringing a villain to justice is achieved and the relationship between the main characters comes to a delightful conclusion. I received a copy of this entertaining romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

4.25 Stars
Miss Lucy Beresford has been betrothed for six years & decides enough is enough either they marry or break the engagement, So Lucy travels to London but discovers her betrothed has been missing for a week, she enlists the services of her betrothed’s closest friend, Arthur Lansbury, Earl of Montague, to help find her missing fiancé. Monty doesn’t like to let on how worried he is about his absent friend, especially to the man’s fragile fiancée. Nevertheless, he consents to help but the more time Monty spends with Lucy, the more he realizes his friend was a fool not to marry her, and the more he realizes the shy persona Miss Lucy Beresford reveals to others conceals a woman of vast appeal
The fourth book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. A well written book with a lovely mixture of romance & mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed both elements. Lucy was an absolute delight & soon had Monty wrapped round her delicate finger. I also loved Monty a rake who fell hard for Lucy, he was protective, caring & listened to her. I loved the humour concerning Hannah & her use of vocabulary, I also enjoyed her budding romance. The pace was very good & enjoyed Monty & Lucy’s journey to a HEA even though it was tinged with sadness
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

If you are worried about reading this prior to the other books in the series, don't be. Although it might have been nice to know a little more about the cousins Lucy talks about, that information is not necessary in order to understand what is going on here. I enjoyed following Lucy as she worked on being more assertive and started to take control of the events in her life. She and Monty made for a good investigative team. And of course I appreciated that Monty valued Lucy as a partner and regularly realized what a moron her fiancée was for ignoring her the way he had. The side romance between their servants was sweet too. The situation with Hutch was pretty sad, but I still felt like Lucy's comment about him being a hero for the country was a little overly dramatic.

4.5 stars

A lovely story. Lucy is betrothered to Monty/Arthur's friend. She's decided that if he doesn't come up to scratch after 6 years she's going to get out of the enagement. (A little confused at one time Lucy says that her fiance would have to drop her but I thought in Regency times it was the other way round else the woman risjed being ostracised). She goes to London to find him. She's slim, plain but wealthy. At first Monty doesn't really see her as an atractive partner but while they search for the friend/fiance Arthur comes to realise what a jewel his friend is disappointing. They realise that at best the fiance is kidnapped at worse dead,. It is a very romantic tale with just a kiss as Arthur is a very moral man. I'd have liked a little more passion, it is hinted at. Arthur's sister is fun as is the word play with Lucy's maid. It's part of a series but I think it can be read as a standalone. I notice I've read 2 of the other three books. The covers are pretty.
Thoroughly recommend.

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

This is the 4th book of The Baresford Adventures series, it can be read as stand alone. My first in this series and this book is good. I reall enjoy Lucy Baresford adventure to find her missing fiance. Lucy get some help from her fiance friend Arthur Lansbury, Earl of Montague. Lord Montague think Lucy plain and wonder why his friend Thomas Hutchinson willing to betrothed. When they spend time together finding Thomas, Lord Montague change his mind. Lucy like Chameleon, can change from shy to domining, she elegent and very intellegent, he cant help falling hard to Lucy. Thomas case lead to another complicated case including assasin.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#RescuedbyaRake #TheBeresfordAdventures #CherylBolen #DragonbladePublishing #NetGalley #ARC

I absolutely loved this beautiful, heartfelt historical romance from Cheryl Bolen. The characters are so full of life and likeable. The plot keeps you busy with trying to keep up with the changes and twists of the book. A must read enjoyable story.

After being betrothed for six years, Lucy decides to come to London to confront her fiancé but instead finds him missing. Monty, the fiance’s best friend, is also concerned that his friend is missing. Together Lucy and Monty try to find out what happened to the man. They feel guilty when they realize that they have feelings for each other. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

This story was full of intrigue, action, adventure and romance.
Please be warned for any spoilers that might show up.
This story is about a 24 year old woman who has been waiting six (6!) years for her fiance' to marry her. She has been living at her family's country estate while her betrothed parties, gambles and wenches his way across London. Her two dearest cousins have recently married and her brother refuses to allow her younger sisters to think about marrying until she is married. So, she took her maid and left for London to her cousin's home. When she arrives, she learns that her cousins and their spouses have been invited to Brighton by the Prince Regent as a reward for thwarting an assassin attempt. She sends a note to her betrothed's house to announce she is in London, so he can take her around to parties or balls, and she hears nothing. She goes to his house and he has been missing for seven days. A whole week without his valet? Unheard of. She goes to his best friend to ask questions.
When Lord Montegue received a letter from a Lucy Beresford, he is clueless as to why he received it. He is more concerned with the fact that his best friend,who works for the Foreign Office and that he spends part if each day with has been missing for a week. Then as he thinks hard, he puzzles out that the note writer is the lady his best friend was betrothed to many years ago, but has never made any attempt to cultivate the relationship. In fact, he thinks his friend is with his mistress in Bath. As he talks to the heroine, he is assured of her fragile, retiring nature. She is no great beauty, but as he comes to know her, he realizes that she is elegant and delicate, but extremely strong in nature. The hero finds himself attracted to his best friends future wife while looking for an assasin.
I enjoyed this story. Spoiler, the fiance' ends up being deceased, killed in the line of duty. But the worst thing, besides his death is the abrupt ending!! There is no conclusion. There is no little bits to give to the reader. It is just the heroine and hero are visiting and her cousins and their husbands show up, because they read about the assasination attempt in the newspaper. The hero says to her male cousin that they were getting married the next day and he was just like, okay. I mean, no ending at all. Such a crime for this level of story telling. I have to take a star off for the ending.
I give this book 4 stars and recommend reading so long as the reader knows about the ending.