I love historical romance trilogies. In the first story you meet a lot of very interesting people, and the story focuses on two of them. In the next story you get a laser look at another couple of people, usually one you met in the first book and someone unexpected. And – bonus – you get to catch up on that first couple and many of the others. By the third book you feel like you know them all. There’s another couple, one old, one new, and they press on will they-won’t they to their glorious HEA. Maybe, hopefully. You’re never quite sure until the end. it’s a great formula, with the only drawback being that while you can’t wait for that third book and the big wrap-up, at the same time you dread it because you know it’s The End for the series. Author Anna Bennett is so excellent at this. It Takes a Rake is an excellent example, in fact.

Kitty is the little troublemaker from book one. Willful, headstrong, clever, orphaned, being raised by a bachelor uncle who has no idea what to do with her. She’s the reason Blake and Hazel met and got their HEA. Kitty? We meet her and kind of forget about her.

Kitty is a young lady in book two, a member with Hazel and Poppy of the little group The Belles of Bellehaven. She’s refined, calmed down a bit, but we can still see her independent streak and determination. But this is Poppy and Keane’s story and we enjoy the trek to their HEA, happy for how Kitty is growing up, how she belongs, but mostly smitten with the two lovebirds.

Book three, though, is all about Kitty. All about all-grown-up Kitty. A talented heiress ready to come into her own. Not so much about getting in trouble these days as knowing her own mind and intending to follow her own path. Which is to become a successful architect. Remember, however, that we are still in the Regency Era and young women don’t really get to do whatever they want without consequences. How is Kitty going to deal with this? By never giving away her heart and never being under the thumb of any man who will try to control her, that’s how.

And now we come to the fun part that Bennett does so well. Enter Leo, childhood friend of Kitty, and an old rival in architectural talent and dreams. When he returns to Bellehaven after several years away, they meet again and Kitty feels something, but she won’t let that little twitch take hold. Nope, no way, not Kitty. She has plans. As for Leo, he has plans too but as soon as he sees her he realizes that childhood crush he came close to acknowledging before chickening out is no long a crush. Nope, now it’s love. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings where she thinks he’s come back looking for a wife, she offers to teach him to be a rake, to attract women and find that wife, although this soon starts to stick in her throat and grate on her. These two together are laugh-out-loud funny, tender, sweet, hilariously oblivious, and eventually steamy enough to make you break out in a sweat. And, yep, we get our bonus and catch up on Hazel and Blake and Poppy and Keane and everybody else.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of It Takes a Rake. It was delightful, suspenseful, swoony and totally, completely enjoyable and satisfying. I just hope fantastic author Bennett is busy writing another trilogy; I can’t wait! I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to the third book in the Rogues to Lovers series. The tropes of childhood nemesis and unrequited love on the hero's part sounded intriguing. Plus the main characters are architects. Unfortunately, this story didn't work for me. So disappointing.

The plot felt thin, didn't keep my attention and I found myself skimming pages. My biggest issue with the book was the main character Kitty. She came off very immature, naive and clueless. I didn't warm up to her character and had a tough time buying into her change of feelings towards Leo. I like steamy scenes but these felt really out of place given their behavior towards one another.

However I did like being back in Belhaven Bay with characters from previous books. I will read the next story from this author as I enjoyed the last two books. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This is the third of a series about three best friends (Hazel, Poppy, and Kitty) that had each other’s back no matter what. Miss Kitty Beckett lost her parents at a very young age and has been raised by her uncle. At her upcoming birthday, she will become an heiress and won’t be tricked into a marriage. Leo Lockland is an architect and started at a very young age in his grandfather’s office. Also working in that office was Kitty. They used to spar a lot but both were great at their drawings. He left without a word, and she never got over it. She felt everyone she got close to left her beginning with her parents, her uncle sending her to boarding school, and then Leo. She vowed she wouldn’t give her heart to anyone. Bellehaven Bay has announced an architectural design contest, and she is determined to win, take her inheritance and move to London to become a successful architectural designer. She has asked Leo to double check her numbers and for that, she says she will teach him how to be a rake. Some things happen that aren’t planned as you will find in this story as secrets and feelings surface.

It takes a Rake by Anna Bennett was a fun historical romance. It is the third book in the Rogue to Lovers Series. The novel takes place in Bellehaven and really focuses on Kitty and Leo.

Kitty Beckett was a heiress. As a child, she was constantly pushing her boundaries with her friends. She has been apprenticed to an architect (Leo’s grandfather) and can see life and beauty in so much. Once she is old enough she can take her money and move to London to design buildings.

Leo was apprenticed with his grandfather to become an architect and then he left for London to make his fortune. However, he has returned and he wants to reconnect with Kitty, who is less than pleased.

Bellhaven has started a competition to make a new building for the town. Kitty wants to win the competition to help start her future. Leo ends up helping her, making her designs somewhat more practical. She ends up helping him to not drown. Slowly they began to draw closer to each other, but is it enough?

I enjoyed reading It Takes A Rake by Anna Bennett. The characters were interesting and the story line kept my attention. I am looking forward to reading more novels in this series.

I have been provided with a review copy of It Takes a Rake from NetGalley for an impartial review. Ahhhhh this was just such a great read. I just didn't want this book to end and I was sad to turn the last page. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars
🔥🔥

[ thank you @smpromance & @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]


I really enjoyed book two in this series so I was excited to read this one!

Kitty and Leo have always had this rivalry (& friendship) between them. But now that they both plan to enter into the architectural design contest, Kitty is determined to win. But Leo is more determined to win her heart.. ❤️

I’ll be honest, I loved Kitty’s passion for design. I was rooting for her the entire time. But she did bother me a bit with how she acted, just immature sometimes. I had a hard time even seeing why Leo would want to be with her. But the character growth at the end, definitely helped her and she did act more mature with what she wanted/thought/acted.

Together, they made a cute couple! I loved the underlying tension between them. The rake lessons were fun. Leo was taking her advice just hoping he would be able to spend more time with her. 🥰

Overall, it was a good book! I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Book 3 in the Bellehaven series and it was good, but Kitty was quite difficult to warm up to throughout the book. Leo had been in love with Kitty for years but was too straightforward and nice, so he naturally butted heads with Kitty. When they reunited in town years later, Leo’s attraction was stronger and Kitty’s eyes finally opened. A solid 3 stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

I loved the first two books in this series, setting the bar high for this third installment. It was fun returning to Bellehaven Bay, the seaside setting of all three books in the trilogy. I enjoyed catching up with meddling town locals as well as the main couples from books one and two. It feels good to catch a glimpse of the post-HEA lives of couples whose journeys I've enjoyed.

I really like the strength, independence, and ambition of the three heroines in this series. Kitty is a talented architect pursuing a career in a male-dominated field. I was cheering her on to success the entire way. It was in her personal relationships, specifically her inflexibility and her hot and cold treatment of Leo, primarily in the second half of the book, where I found myself having a hard time supporting her. It all works out in the end but, to be honest, there were more than a few times where I wanted to tell Leo to run and not look back.

Not that Leo is perfect. Who is, right? Still, I was in his corner from start to finish. And he is in Kitty's. He fell hard for her years ago and shows no signs of getting over it. Even four years away in London hasn't lessened the feelings he has for her. I could feel his yearning for her, the unrequited love he's hidden so well. I appreciate the respect he has for her and the unwavering support for her ambitions. I also cheered loudly when he finally stands up for himself and what he deserves...what they both deserve. It needed to be said.

In the end, I was happy and confident in this couple's ability to have a happy life together. I didn't love their book but I did like it and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

They made a deal. He will help with her design questions (mostly numbers), and she will teach him how to be a rake so he can attract the woman he wants to impress. What Kitty doesn’t know is that the woman Leo is secretly in love with is her. Kitty wants to win the design competition to prove herself as an architect. Kitty isn’t sure she wants to find love or marry. She doesn’t want to be left alone, again. Leo has some family secrets and old hurts that have been an obstacle in his life and career. This is a slow-burn (on Kitty’s part) romance with lots of humor, a bit of drama, a moment of chicanery, and a wonderful happy ending. Entertaining story.

Ok, I wanted to like this book, but just could not get into the characters or the situations. Kitty seemed very hot and cold, her ideals and dreams didn’t fit her actions. Leo was just a little too I love with Kitty from the start to be interesting. 3 stars.

I think this one was very cute and fun—I love the turn me into a rake plotline—but it lacked just a bit of tension. I knew where the ending was going so I was kinda of wary, and when their romance was finally on track (yay!!!) it was of course derailed by obvious villains and miscommunication. I wanted more of the makeover plot, than the competition, since I loved seeing Kitty jealous and Leo perplexed.

I just don’t understand Kitty’s stubbornness and fear regarding love/ people leaving. I may sound like a bad person but I don’t think her history really lent itself to THAT much commitmentphobia? This was compounded by the fact that she actually did accept her feelings of love for Leo, but miscommunication reared its ugly head in a very obvious and uninspired way. I also hated the way the competition ended? That was not satisfying at all.

I lost interest with about two hours left of the audiobook because I knew what was coming and simply didn’t want to deal with it. In the grand scheme of things, was the third act that taxing? No, but I’m still hooked on how book two resolved the issues, and I wanted that here. (Poppy never doubted her hero, whereas Kitty was filled with doubts.)

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed a majority of the book! Leo was a cutie and I love when a hero begins the book already in love and spends the entire book trying to convince the heroine of it. This one reminded me of Kate Bateman’s latest series—almost a combination of A Daring Pursuit and A Wicked Game.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Anna Bennett is officially an auto-read author for me. I have enjoyed this series so much. After reading the first book, I have been patiently waiting to be able to read Kitty and Leo's story. I'm so glad that I was finally able to! If there was one word I'd use to describe Anna Bennett's writing, it would be FUN. This book was just so fun and a joy to read. Sure, at times there was something said or mentioned that gave me pause and had me questioning if it was historically accurate. Then I thought to myself that I'm not an expert, so I wouldn't know if it was anyways. And then I thought, even if it isn't accurate, it's FICTION, so who cares. I truly believe that a good book is all about the vibes it gives off an less about the accuracy (I will say this to some extent though because I've read contemporary books where the characters magically changed where their location was in the middle of the paragraph). Anyways, off this topic because it's really not important. What is important is that Leo and Kitty were perfect for each other. I loved how this was a he falls first, childhood crush sort of story. I liked that she was teaching him to be a rake because she thought he wanted to be with someone else when in reality, he was just willing to change anyway he could so he would be what she wanted. Also, I love a good competition and this had a lot of competitions. It had some jealousy. And it had a male character who stood up for the female character to tell everyone that her work was brilliant even though she was a female doing a "males job." Well, this was definitely a rant of a review, so if you made it this far, thanks for reading and just know that I really loved these characters and this story.

Rake lessons bring rivals Kitty Beckett and Leo Lockland scandalously closer in “It Takes a Rake” by Anna Bennett!

The female main character is daring, refreshing, and breaks gender norms. She is self-assured and talented in her craft yet humble to know when she needs help in order to win a building design competition. I love that she could be dramatic yet comedic.

The male main character utilizes his rake lessons however is still a cinnamon roll. With the longing he has for his nemesis, their love story is so much fun to devour. I thought his grand gesture was entertaining, hysterical, and sweet!

This close proximity, teenage friends to lovers story was a quick and enjoyable read. Kitty and Leo’s banter and secret feelings makes this book a page turner. If you also enjoy class difference, working female aristocrats, and opposites attract, then I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

An enjoyable read worth picking up! "It Takes a Rake" concludes Anna Bennett's "Rogues to Lovers" series, though it also works as a standalone. Orphan Kitty has closed off her heart, certain that everyone she loves leaves her, so she will simply marry a rake whom she can never love. Leo has been in love with Kitty for years but is definitely not a rake. He gets her to teach him rakish ways and along the way, shows Kitty what she would be missing by closing off her heart.

Slightly steamy, medium angst, slightly silly 3rd act separation. 3.5 stars rounded to 4. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

I really liked the concept of this book! The themes of the FMC having a very much encouraged architectural career in the regency era (!!) was amazingly cool, and it was a good genderbent twist for FMC to teach MMC how to be a rake 😭
I do feel that the miscommunication could have been managed better? I'm not a fan of miscommunication in general, and I found this book to have too much of it.

TWs - death of parents (past, but grief in present), infidelity by a parent

I have been reading lots of historical romance lately and reading a MMc who wasn't a Duke was refreshing. Leo pining after Kitty for years and acting like he does not care about her, swoon. Their banter and Kitty showing up in a ball gown to work just to show Leo she was not affect by his remarks, dead. Enjoyed reading.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett
Rogues to Lovers #3
Publication Date: January 23, 2024

Kitty’s an heiress with a plan and a talent for architecture. When a contest is announced for a design contest, she gets a little help from an old friend and former rival. Leo’s been in love with Kitty for as long as he can remember. Maybe helping her in the contest will give him the push he needs to tell him how he really feels. However Kitty gets in her head Leo needs tutoring to become confident and offers to help him become the Rake she believes he wants to be in exchange for her help.

So far this book is by far my favourite book in the series. The characters of both Kitty and Leo are extremely likable and charming. It’s kind of like the historical a She’s All That except gender-swapped and he really already is “all that.” No makeover required because he’s basically a gorgeous cinnamon roll. Kitty is an intelligent and strong female heroine, unable to accept the confines placed on her gender and is determined to prove everyone wrong. Everywhere she turns, Leo is there. To offer some support, guidance or flirtation.

If you believe in the concept of soulmates, this one is definitely for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an early review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wow this was one I did not see coming! The hero falls first and hard as teenager! Leo Lockland has secrets that drove him to London away from the family and architect he loved!
Kitty Beckett fellow architect and both were students of Leo grandfather! Not that Leo counted the months or time away from Kitty (48 months and 17 days)! He was home to take over for his grandfather who like it or not was getting on in years!
Kitty says he’s too nice so she devised a plan to turn Leo into a rake in exchange for his assistance in launching her career with an architect contest for their town!
These two are already fierce competitors!
If you like steam, raw emotions and childhood dreams come to life! This is one heck of a ride!!
Two stubborn people who realize the quality of your time with each can absolutely equal forever! It had humor meddling friends and secrets revealed!! Bravo

Bellehaven Bay

Leo Lockhart has returned to his hometown after spending 4 years in London running his own architectural business. He has decided to sell it and return to help his newly widowed mother. Leo learned to be an architect under the guidance of his grandfather who has now retired and turned the business over to him.

Miss Kitty Beckett is an orphan who is due to receive an inheritance soon and then she wants to start her own architectural business. She also trained to be an architect under Leo’s grandfather. Kitty and Leo used to work together in the same room but they never seemed to get along. However, Leo has always admired and loved her but has kept it to himself.

Back home, Kitty tells him she can make him into a rake so he can easily attract women. Amused, he gives into her instructions.

When the town announces a competition to design a structure that they would like to see built to enhance the town, Kitty immediately signs up. Leo is hesitant to do so himself. But another entrant makes him decide to do so. Let the competition begin.

This is a nice book with a different type plot. I loved the relationship that Leo and Kitty have and wanted only the best for them. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.