I loved the light feeling from the book. Gemma brings the smile and joy and laughter to this story. Her brother Liam worries over her as she disguises herself on a mission. Rake finds something peculiar about his employee. The story is a fast reading book. I enjoyed the growing romance of Rake and Gemma. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars
Gemma & Liam Cassidy are twin illegitimate children of an earl. To make her way in the world, and escape her abusive father, Gemma will have to get her hands dirty. Masquerading as Gem a stableboy, she realizes she isn’t only spying on the best horseracing stable in England, but the most magnificent duke in the land. The Duke of Rakesley has everything under control—as usual. He’s a man who knows what he wants and how to get it, like choosing a duchess who will fit into his well-ordered life without fuss. Then Gemma comes along and plays havoc with Rake’s idea of the future.
I’m not usually a lover of a woman masquerading as a man as I find it hard to believe. However the author pulled it off & I loved how Rake gradually realised that the stableboy with a magic touch with the horses was no boy at all. I also enjoyed the insight into ‘The Sport of Kings'. The chemistry between Rake & Gemma sizzled. The pace is good & I read this delightful romance in two sittings & I look forward to more in the series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Horse racing, subterfuge & unexpected romance!
A well orchestrated romance that sucks you in with its witty banter, teasing competing and thrumming chemistry that makes each character not only easy to picture but makes you want to stand behind them and root for their happiness.
Gemma, desperate for the freedom and escape only coin can provide, dares to take the place of her injured jockey twin brother, Liam, to root out operation secrets at the finest racing stable, Rakesley’s. By wrangling an opportunity to masquerade as stable-lad, Gem for the Duke.
I loved Gemma, she stood her ground, took control of her fate and had this gentle intuitive way with horses... a horse whisperer in all sense of the word.
Whereas, Rake, despite radiating an arrogant Duke persona, that he wore so well in his bid for control, was surprisingly neither conceited nor condescending. Never dismissive or disregarding, definitely no pushover yet had this scrummy core of tenderness and deepset caring that came through so clearly in his interactions with Gemma or towards her in her role as Gem. Where together they dazzled as their budding mutual passion for horses sparked a deeper passion for each other and so cleverly interweaved throughout this submersive plot while informatively highlighting, a whole way of life - the nitty-gritty everyday successes, setbacks, underhand tactics and dealings and insightful intimate workings of the racing circuit through the captivating eyes of Rake's racehorse stable. Embellished with a host of well defined personalities that fascinated and pulled me into the drama with a need to unravel and dig deeper to reveal their complex - anything but black and white - layers.
All interwoven so engagingly into this exciting new series opener, that promises to reveal further stories...only hinted at in their direction, heart and warmth...while entangling you in a forbidden romance packed with such personality and connection between Gemma and Rake that it thickened the air and thrummed with tantalising promise. A magnetically charged pull that sung so vibrantly everytime they locked eyes. Creating this fun transition from the building disconcerting awareness they instantaneously felt, that burnt with heated searching glances and the subtle shock of tingling attraction, that delightfully intensified upon the realisation Gem didn't just test him with his boldness or can win his ever increasing respect and awe, through his knowledge and instinctual touch with horses, like no one has before, but in the fact he is actually a strong woman... a strong, compassionate, beautiful woman... one he can't stop fantasising about. Blooming into heated steamy encounters fueled by shared intimacies and unavoidable desire yet sweetly brimming with a tangible tenderness that lay at it's heart. To the point, the pair's feelings became evocative of cleverly capturing the ache of their romance being temporary, a permanent impossibility, yet holds this underlining pleasurable tug of longing and yearning that stops them altering their course and tangibly pulling them back together in such addictively steamy intimacy to such statisfyingly joyful effect everytime.
A fun, well written, witty, emotionally arousing, dreamy-steamy romance that grabs your attention and makes you care for the characters that are so colourfully depicted and the horse focused passionate life they choose to live and breathe. All coming together to make me eagerly look forward to book 2 and the intriguing personalities we'll get the pleasure of learning more about!

I have read many of this authors books and enjoyed them all. This book was no exception. I liked the setting of stables and race courses and the animals as well. The romance between Rake and Gem was sexy and you could feel the pull between them. The conflict was great and really added to the story.

This was fun, quick read and to be honest I had a harder time getting into it and had to find something else to read before going back to it to finish the book.

This was a quick read. I finished the book in 3 hours.

The story, though predictable in a few places, was developed very well with interesting characters (especially Artemis - I hope she gets her own book).

While book started out very well, building up my curiosity, as the story developed, I found myself searching for answers to certain questions. However, I didn't find satisfactory explanations for many of them.
Since this is Book 1 of the series, perhaps some of the questions pertaining to secondary characters in this book (who might become main characters in the upcoming books) will be answered in them.


Overall: 3.5 stars for a quick and enjoyable read.

Edward, "Rake" Duke of Rakesley, is horse mad and has one of the finest stables in England. His sister Lady Artemis,is also horse mad owning several race horse herself.

Their friend and neighbor Lord Julian Batchelor Marquess of Ormonde, has several race horses also.

Dowager Duchess of Acaster, owner of "Silky Sadie", corresponds with Rake in hopes she can get her horse and herself matched with him.

Lady Beatrix St. Vincent was the only legitimate child of the wastrel Marquess of Lydon, friend to both Lady Artemis and Lady Acaster, loves to gossip about horse races and ton gossip.

Gemma and Liam Cassidy, twins, are wanting to live life on their own terms. After living under the harshness of their biological father. They come up with a plan to have their life on their terms. Gemma gets a chance to help and since Liam broke his leg, does not let him deter her.

If you know anything about horse racing or not you will soon. This story does center around all the facets that will boggle your mind. It gives you a small glimpse into what some go through and hints at more. Woven into that is romance, intrigue, and horse racing drama.

Come join the derby to find out what Gem a does to help and see if she succeeds. Who wins the race, who loses more than they thought possible, and who is plotting to cause a ruckus. To give you more would spoil the story but I can honestly say it was a very enlivened, enlightened story that had me not wanting to stop until I reached the end. Great characters and detailed information give the imagery of being right there on the course with the horses, jockeys, and owners

Gemma is the illegitimate daughter of an abusive earl. She gets a chance at freedom when she's hired to spy on the Duke of Rakesley's racing stable. She quickly proves her talent with horses—but how will Rake react when he learns his new stableboy is really a beautiful, sensual woman? And what will he do when he learns of her betrayal?

If you love steamy, historical Cinderella stories, you'll love this book. Gemma is the perfect mix of cunning and kind, while Rake is the perfect mix of wicked and honorable. I love how unapologetic Gemma is for her choices. This is an entertaining, intelligent, and heartwarming book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Gemma Cassidy is illegitimate daughter of an earl and the only way to save herself and her twin brother, is to masquerade as a stableboy and a spay. She is driven to finding out the secrets of the Duke of Rakesley, the owner of best horseracing stable in England. Rake is a man in control and his next job is to find a duchess and to win a famous horse race. When he meets Gem who he believes to be a young man, he finds himself not quite sure of the situation. When he uncovers that Gem is really a woman, he feels himself thrown by the passion between them. Yet Gemma is not prepared to be his mistress and realises that she will lose Rake once he uncovers her true purpose for working for him.
An enjoyable romance with plenty of sizzle. Both Gemma and Rake are strong characters, making their relationship dominate the story. I must admit to finding some aspects not fully resolved such as the threat of Gemma’s father who only appears quite briefly. Lord Deverill also has a minor role when I felt that Gemma would have had more interactions with him. Overall, I look forward to reading more in this series, especially regarding Rake’s sister Lady Artemis.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One Fun Read

I enjoyed everything about this story, it was romantic, steamy, had wonderful characters and it made me giggle!

Rake was a controlled Duke until he met Gem his stableboy, suddenly his world is rocked and everything he thought his life should be seemed wrong. He knew he needed to do his duty to his title but wasn’t he entitled to some happiness along the way!

Gem was in disguise and on a mission, she loved animals and had a special way with horses and before she knew it, she was riding his thoroughbreds.

A past paced romantic read sure to make you smile with a wonderful HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I love Gemma/Gem so much. She is the heroine of this story and of her own. Strong, capable and rather unapologetic about her life and her choices. We see her taking on the role of a male stableboy to spy on the stables of the Duke of Rakesley, "Rake". Unable to hide her opinions or her natural talent with horses, she quickly finds herself as a jockey and a darn good one. She trains for the pivotal race while completing her spy mission in accordance with her own values. She knows her own worth and will not settle,

For his part, Rake also comes to think Gemma/Gem is incredible - until he learns about her spying. His upset about this is understandable, less so is his unwillingness to understand why Gemma would feel driven to such an act. Gemma is so good at pointing out the flaws in his reasoning, even as he resists understanding.

Ultimately, this book is a fantastic romp through the high stakes worlds of horse racing and love. Gemma and Rake have amazing chemistry and the steam level is good throughout. The secondary characters are entertaining and I look forward to their stories in the (hopefully) near future.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is a well-written book with a great plot and great characters that kept me reading long into the night until I finished it. I especially loved the chemistry between Gem and Rake, both at the beginning and throughout the book.

This is my least favorite trope – I get so annoyed with it but since it is Sofie’s writing, and her writing is excellent, I gave it a go. Well, I did not like it. The writing is impeccable. If you are looking for very detailed horse racing in Regency England then this book is the one for you. It was too much for me. I really dislike giving a low rating since I love all of Sofie’s books. I don’t want to skew your view of this story. Give it a try, it just was not for me.

I read this is one sitting which resulted in a very late night/early morning, The dialog, descriptions, and research were well done and if you like horses or horse racing this will be for you. The main character's are from very different backgrounds but both love horses and therefore have a lot in common as well as great chemistry. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the animals in it. I was sad for Artemis but can't wait for her book to see what happens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh such a wonderful start to a new series! One can devour the book in a day. Has some spicy scenes between the MC, but thankfully a great storyline. Gemma alias Gem and her twin brother Liam are born on the wrong side of the blanket. In hiding from their father, but pursuing their love of horses they work at various racetracks.. But when Liam, a jockey breaks his leg Gemma steps in and disguising herself as a lad name Gem. They do have another way of earning money, but it involves spying on the Duke of Rakesley. Something Gem is willing to do as it will allow the siblings an escape to New York and away from their father. As luck would have it Gem is at the right place at the right time and meets the Duke. She manages to get herself hired to work in his stables and there she earns her keep as Hannibal stable lad and then to jockey.
Rake is impress with his new stable lad, but why is he noticing things about him he shouldn’t notice? The story gives one a look into the racing world during the regency period. Love the way Rake figured out that Gem is a woman. The supporting characters are wonderful and looking forward to their stories. I give it 4.5 stars and rounding up. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #OddsontheRake

This book was perfect. I never wanted it to end. Gemma is a strong character and put up with the Dukes demands. I love the forbidden love aspect especially when it's a Duke who can't marry down. I love that Gemma was written as the illigitmate daughter and not just another fancy lady because it makes her even better. I hope this becomes a series.

“It’s about setting free and seeing where it takes us. It’s in the in-between space that the magic in life happens.”

Powerful, determined and always in control the Duke of Rakesley settled for nothing but the very best. Except the stallion he just bought wasn’t. Dangerous and unrideable. Until his newest stableboy had taken over. The lad had a way with horses. And with him… where did this strange fascination come from?

A couple of weeks at Rakesley Stables disguised as a stableboy and Gemma Cassidy would earn the fifty pounds she and her brother needed to escape. Easy enough if she kept her head down and did her job. Except she couldn’t, and now she was training the duke’s new champion. England’s finest racehorses she could handle, but their magnificent master was something else.

Some secrets are harder to keep than others, and when the truth reveals itself, passion flares.
He was ready to settle for a perfectly suitable duchess in possession of some fine horses, but then she stirred his lust and his heart. But why was she always running away?
She couldn’t be his, but he deserved far better than ‘not unhappy’. If only an earl’s by-blow and a duke could find happiness. If only her secrets wouldn’t tear them apart. If only…

📚 What a lovely battle of wits and wills this story is! Two strong MCs unwilling to settle for second best, and unafraid to give in to an irresistible attraction. Strong emotions and strong feelings set against the exclusive backdrop of horse racing. And where there is money, there is deceit, seedy characters and shady deals. Witty, original & delicious! Can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
📚 Hidden identity, forbidden romance, steamy, open door, soulmates

Thank you to the author for this eARC! All opinions are entirely my own.

I very much enjoyed this regency romance, beautifully written and well researched. The horseracing world during the Regency period was particularly interesting which flowed nicely between Rake and Gemma. I fell for Rake and Gemma from the early pages, complex and passionate characters. I also enjoyed the supporting characters in Artemis and Julian, well developed and engaging. The odds are definitely in favour for this new series.

Odds on the Rake is full of history and technical details about racehorses which coming from a horse loving family is something I truly enjoyed. The characters were lovely! I actually hope to see them in other sequels. The romance was heated and passionately--but I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself.
The past of the main character and her brother was the part that I found uninteresting, it lacks suspense and real mystery. It does not justify all the trouble they engage in order to stay on the run.
In conclusion, this is a light reading with few lines to reflect on life while learning about history.

Odds on the Rake by Sofie Darling

This book reminds me of Julia Quinn's earlier books such as "Minx" or "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever". This book is well-written and I absolutely love it! I'm going to grab this when it's released, because I will re-read this many times. Love it!