Kitty is back! I'm so happy to revisit Bellehaven Bay and the Belles are at it again. Hazel and Poppy have found their HEA and just want Kitty to find hers, but she is determined that she doesn't want to risk her heart anymore, she wants a career instead. Unfortunately no one in town believes that a woman can be an architect. It's up to Leo to show her that not only is she a brilliant architect but she deserves love too. I really enjoyed the entire series, but something about this one just made me smile and laugh. Great story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

From the time they were in their teens, nobody could vex Miss Kitty Beckett like Leo Lockland. She was fifteen and he was seventeen when they began apprenticing at Leo’s grandfather’s architecture firm. Both were gifted but in very different disciplines. Kitty could dream up the most wonderful, fantastically beautiful buildings and bring them to life with her colorful renderings. Leo was anything but fanciful. His world was orderly, with neat lines, perfectly planned, and nothing left to chance. His strong suit was calculating everything to do with the design – the math was his strong suit – Kitty, well, not so much in the math department.

Leo – OMGoodness – I did love Leo, and he is why I rounded my rating up to 4 stars rather than down to 3. Leo had loved Kitty from the day he met her but she was totally oblivious to it. He never stopped loving her even though he abruptly left – without saying goodbye to her. Now, he’s returning to Bellehaven Bay to run his grandfather’s architectural firm – and to hopefully win the heart of Kitty. He’s willing to do anything – change in any way – to win her. So, when she offers to teach him to be a rake, he readily accepts. Anything to keep him close to her. Whatever she wants – he gives. Sometimes, I thought he gave too much, but it never annoyed me, so I continued to give high marks to Leo.

Miss Kitty Beckett has severe abandonment issues. It is her opinion that everybody she loves abandons her for one reason or another. Therefore, she cannot depend on anyone – she can only rely on herself. She will marry because she wants children, but she’ll marry a rake who will leave her to live her own life while he leads his. She’ll never love him and won’t be hurt when he abandons her. Even her nemesis, Leo, abandoned her without even saying goodbye. Now, though, he is back to plague her.

I enjoyed this, I believe, final book in the series because it was well-written, witty, nicely paced, and had some characters I loved. I even mostly liked Kitty, but I got very, very annoyed with her and her refusal to change her mind about marriage and love. She had wonderful examples of loving and caring all around her, but she chose to ignore those. When she was still steadfastly against a life with Leo closer toward the end of the book, I found myself wishing he would just tell her to go live her lonely, loveless life and he’d find someone who would love him in return.

This was a nice wrap-up for the Belles and included a lovely epilogue that included all of the Belles and their families two years later.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Architect Leo Lockland has been gone for over four years from Bellehaven Bay, trying to get over his feelings for Miss Kitty Beckett his friend and nemesis. Leo has been in love with her since they worked together as teenagers in his grandfather’s architectural firm. Their relationship has always been based on a combination of competition and
respect. But when he suddenly left for London without even saying goodbye the loss of their rivalry left a gaping void in Kitty’s life.


Kitty’s life has been full of loses, with the death of her parents in an accident and being abandoned at different schools by her uncle and Leo’s sudden departure. She is afraid of loving and losing someone again. So she has decided she needs a marriage of convenience, namely with the sort of man who was practical enough to marry, kind enough to be a good father, and enlightened enough to support her career goals. She needed a man who was decent but who wouldn’t demand all of her heart. Because she couldn’t give it.


When Bellehaven Bay announces an architectural, design contest Kitty and Leo make an arrangement. She will teach him how to be a rake and he will help with her structural calculations.

I couldn’t put this childhood friends to lovers trope down!! The story was entertaining, funny, with laugh out loud moments and a tender and charming romance that I loved immensely!! I adored the main characters as well as catching up with the characters from the previous books in this series! Simply magical!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett is the fun and romantic conclusion to the Rogues to Lovers series. If you like the hero falls first trope, this one is for you! Even though this book can be read as a standalone, I enjoyed following the characters though the books. Each one has a strong female lead. Kitty and Leo's romance was steamy, romantic, swoon worthy with great banter and a well plotted HEA. I highly recommend the whole series!

Miss Kitty Beckett has always found trouble as a girl, but now she's an heiress with the skill of an architect. She doesn't plan on getting tricked into marriage, and plans to win Bellehaven Bay's first architectural design contest. Leo Lockland was an apprentice architect along with Kitty and always had a crush on her. Now back home after a few years in London, he must pretend to be a rake. He takes to the role a little too well, putting Kitty's plans in jeopardy.

It Takes a Rake is the third book in the Rogues to Lovers series, but not to worry, no need to have read the other two to understand this one. Kitty and Leo had past interactions as fellow apprentices, but Leo has the mathematical mind while Kitty has the whimsy and fantasy design elements. Leo abruptly left for London and is the perennial nice guy who doesn't want to hurt anyone. Kitty wants a rake, as they don't want any long-term relationship; people leave her, so she doesn't want any emotional attachments to break her heart. She asks Leo to go over her math, so he asks for rake lessons to attract her attention in return, which she assumed was for someone else.

Of course, there's a misunderstanding before Leo confesses that Kitty's the one he wanted. She has feelings in return and is deeply hurt when he doesn't explain why he left so suddenly. The addition of Leo's colleague from London arriving to join the contest gives more competition and adds a wrinkle to the growing relationship. He's annoying from the start and clearly selfish. We didn't need to see the contrast to Leo, who had already been a good fit for Kitty. We get a happily ever after for them, which was fun to see. It's a cute romance to spend the day with.

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of It Takes a Rake is medium.

POV: It Takes a Rake is told from the 3rd person POV of Leo and Kitty.

Series: It Takes a Rake is the 3rd book in the Rogues to Lovers series. You can read it as a standalone, but I suggest reading books 1 and 2 to understand Kitty’s backstory.

Trigger/Content Warning: It Takes a Rake has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death of a parent
Infidelity
Sexism & Misogyny
Bullying
Grief & Loss Depiction
Near Drowning
Bigamy
Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in It Takes a Rake.

Language: There is no swearing in It Takes a Rake. There is also language used, while correct for the period, that could be considered offensive to some people.

Setting: It Takes a Rake is set in the fictional coastal town of Bellehaven Bay, England. There are a couple of later chapters that are set in London.

Age Range: I recommend It Takes a Rake to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

After being away for four years and living in London, Leo Lockland has returned to Bellehaven Bay. Leo is an architect taking over his grandfather’s business and settling his recently deceased father’s affairs. He wasn’t expecting his feelings for Miss Kitty Beckett to be as strong as they were four years earlier.

In the four years that Leo had been gone, Kitty has become a talented architect in her own right. She is also looking for a husband. She refuses to marry for love, seeing what that did to her parents, and has set her sights on marrying a reformed rake. With her and Leo’s rivalry not as heated as it once was, Kitty decides to teach straight-laced Leo how to become a rake. And Leo, hopelessly in love with Kitty, agrees.

With an architectural contest that Kitty is determined to win looming soon, can Leo help Kitty win it? Will he also be able to convince Kitty that taking a chance on love is the right thing for her? Will Kitty realize what she feels for Leo? Or will she let the one person who makes her happy slip through her fingers?

Characters:

The main characters in It Takes a Rake are Leo and Kitty. There are several secondary characters, including characters from past books, but the focus is mainly on Leo, Kitty, and their relationship.

I will be in the minority here, but Kitty was a little intense. For more than half the book, she annoyed the living crap out of me. I wasn’t a fan of how Kitty immediately decided to take up her and Leo’s rivalry when she saw him again. But, when she started interacting more with Leo (for the contest and his lessons), her true self shone through. Her battle not to love Leo saddened me, but I got it. She saw what her parents went through and didn’t want that.

On the other hand, I loved Leo. I adored that the author was upfront with his emotions for Kitty. It was refreshing to see a male character that was in touch with and acknowledged his feelings. I did like that he tried so hard to be a rake for her. Those scenes did make me laugh because it went against everything that he was. But he did it because he loved her. When the author finally explained why he was so angry at his father, I thought my heart would break.

As always, the secondary characters added more depth to the storyline. I liked that the author brought back characters from the previous two books, and I saw what was happening with them. She also introduced new characters, good and bad.

My review:

It Takes a Rake’s storyline centers around Kitty and Leo, their romance, and the contest. The storyline was well-written. It grabbed me initially, and I couldn’t put this book down. I loved that the author was upfront about Leo’s feelings for Kitty and Kitty’s desire to marry without love. Add in the contest Leo’s issues, which made for an exciting read.

The romance angle was wonderfully written. As stated above, I loved (and found it refreshing) that the author was upfront with Leo’s feelings for Kitty. At first, I was a little “eh” when Kitty decided to give Leo lessons on being a rake. But how the author set that up and panned out was terrific, and I got over that “eh” feeling reasonably early in the book. I liked seeing Kitty fight her feelings for Leo. At one point, I thought she was a lost cause, and I gave Leo many props for standing his ground.

The sexual tension between Leo and Kitty was off the charts. So, I wasn’t too surprised when the storyline took that turn. The author kept the tension between them between their lessons.

I liked that the author did something different with Kitty and made her work in a predominantly male-dominated field. Before anyone says anything, remember that this is a historical romance, and female architects were few and far between. So, it was refreshing to see a woman in that field during that era. The author did keep true to the Regency era of sexism and misogyny. While Kitty was allowed to enter, it was revealed that she wasn’t going to win because of her sex (no matter how talented she was). Of course, how the author wrapped that storyline up was terrific.

The end of It Takes a Rake was your typical HEA. I was concerned that Leo and Kitty weren’t going to get theirs. The author did cut it a little close to wrap it up. But, all well, that ends well. I also loved the epilogue!!!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Anna Bennett for allowing me to read and review this ARC of It Takes a Rake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This was a very good read by one of my favorite authors. Ms Bennett writes such a great story about reunited friends turned lovers. I think about how sometimes things that change your life but for the better. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. Even though this is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone.
Kitty Beckett is her own woman in a man's world. She wants to design a building and loves architecture in a way to express her knowledge of it. Kitty gave up on love because it hurts when someone leaves and now she gives her all to her drawings. She can express herself to the fullest.
Her child hood friend Leo Lackland left her and never said goodbye. That's why she knows when a man is not sincere in dealings with one's feelings.
Now Leo is back in town to make amends to Kitty and his love for her never wavers. There is a bit of mystery why Leo left to pursue a career in architecture. Supposedly a family secret that made him leave in the first place. Leo wants Kitty love and will do anything to get it. Fate brings two people who were meant to be. I love happy endings.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

I really enjoyed the prior book in this series, so I was excited for It Takes a Rake. It did not disappoint. It was exactly the right combo of fun and heartfelt, and had so many tropes that I love. He falls first. Teasing and banter. And one of the most fun historical romance tropes - a lady helping a man learn to be a rake to woo someone. Leo and Kitty were so well matched in intelligence and heart and their dreams meshed so well it was impossible to root against them.

The ending at a few moments I disliked. There’s a small moment of kitty being very trusting to her own professional detriment, and I just couldn’t believe the bright, witty woman of the rest of the novel would do that. And Leo had one of those family secrets that I just couldn’t understand why he kept it from Kitty and let that come between them, but that’s a common critique of mine in histroms.

Either way, their romance was so much fun, so natural and swoony. The town is a character on its own k and the supporting characters were vivid and distinct and real. Such a good read.

Kitty and Leo have been rivals since they were teens, a moot point since he's been away in London for the past five years. However, one day he returns to the seaside town where they sparred, and they immediately resume their rivalry. They're both vying for a prestigious architecture award, and decide to have a truce of sorts. They make a deal: Leo will help Kitty with her designs if she teaches him how to be a rake. It seems like the perfect plan, but there's something HUGE Kitty doesn't know...Leo has been in love with her for YEARS. As Kitty teaches Leo about seduction, she does something she'd never expect...fall under his spell!

I had a GREAT time with this book! The seaside setting is absolutely gorgeous. This is the perfect read for the summer. Leo is perfection as a cinnamon roll hero desperate to win Kitty's heart. This is the third (and final?) book in the Rogues to Lovers series, and it's clear that the three women upon which this series focuses are the best of friends. I adored this friend group, despite having missed out on the first two books. I'll definitely read the rest of the books in this series! The love scenes were steamy and emotional, which is my personal favorite combo. The writing was beautiful, funny, and creative. There were daring and exciting scenes unlike anything I've seen in historical romance, and I was here for it!

While Leo was fabulous, Kitty was...less so. She often drove me crazy, though we do get an understanding as to why she could be so stubborn and difficult. I found myself frustrated a few times with her choices. And though the conflict was sometimes a little far-fetched, I found myself having fun and consistently desperate to see what would happen. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite soap operas. It was fun. It was dramatic. It was exciting. And it had a very satisfying conclusion!

Trigger warnings: cheating (off page), death of parents (off page), near-drowning

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett was such a sweet romance.
Anna Bennett knows how to write an entertaining historical romance story and her newest title was utterly captivating.
There was something so swoony to me about Bennett’s writing.
The chemistry between Leo and Kitty is fantastic. They blend so well together.
The pacing, plot, and romance reminded me of all the things I love about Anna Bennett's books.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

**Thank you to Anna Bennett, St. Martin’s Press; and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of It Takes a Rake in exchange for an honest unbiased review!!** I really enjoyed this book! I have been looking forward to Kitty’s story since she was introduced in One Duke Down. I was not disappointed! It was well worth the wait. I loved the relationship between her and Leo. I thought the premise was enthralling. I honestly adore the energy of books with men that are trying their best to impress the women they are attracted to. I felt satisfied with the ending and I liked the underlying plot. I look forward to others reading this book and reading this endearing story.

“Must be nice to be able to just decide that you’re not going to give your full heart and not fall in love with your partner .
Kitty is absolutely ridiculous.”
- My thoughts on Kitty’s behaviour while reading.

I’ve been reading Anna Bennett rues to lover series since the beginning, and it started off great … Sadly I can’t see the same for the ending. it takes a rake had me cringing and mad at the book on almost every other page where kitty is either talking or thinking. Her contradictory nature and her need to be right at all times was incredibly frustrating to read.

But I’ve gotten ahead of myself, this book should’ve been a sweet friends to lovers story that starts off with Hometown boy Leo Lockland returning to Bellhaven Bay to take over his grandfathers architecture firm. His secondary reason for return is to when the regard of his former frenemy and coworker, Kitty Beckett.

She’s totally clueless to his interest and decides to help him pursue his mystery lady by teaching him to be a rake, the type of man she thinks women want. In return, he promises to help her with her architecture contest submission. This should’ve been acute and fun reverse Pygmalian story, but kitties personality flaws, and the inclusion of another man in the plot. Just made this book go off the rails for me.

I was just too frustrated with kitties constant lack of trust and fear and her inability to see what was right in front of her. Leo was definitely way too good for her…

On another note, I’m not sure if this is the last in the series or not. This was the last of the Belles friend group to find mate, so unless the author goes further into Bellehill and finds other characters to add into the mix, this might’ve been the end. If it was an ending, it was satisfactory for the book, but I didn’t get that full ending of a series vibe from it.

Overall, I personally felt that this series started off great and progressively went downhill. I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers in this book solidified my dislike.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this, thank you to Saint Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy.

It Takes a Rake is the third book in the Rogues to Lovers series and can be a stand-alone read.

Leo has loved Miss Kitty Beckett ever since they were young. They have been competitive with one another. Leo is returning home after leaving four years ago. He hoped that he could get over being in love with Kitty, but when he sees her at a ball, he realizes that she has become more beautiful and his feelings for her have now intensified. He is determined to win her over.

Kitty is a talented heiress who can take an old building and turn into something new and fresh. She is also able to see a rake for what he is and is not going to give her heart away to someone that won't put her dreams first. The mayor announces its first ever architectural design contest. Kitty finally sees a path for her dreams to come true.

Leo and Kitty spend time together working on their designs. But a secret about Leo threatens their feelings for one another.

This was a fun and entertaining story. I loved the fact that Kitty was an aspiring architect. This is not something you normally read about in a historical romance. It added something special to the plot. This book was a wonderful addition to the series.

*Insert he fell first and has been pining for her for YEARS sigh of adoration here*

As always I adore the characters written by Anna Bennett. I remember what appeared to be heated debates/mutual dislike b/w Kitty and Leo we caught glimpses of in the two previous novels when they were much younger. Now with their own novel, time as well as distance, has their past frenemies begin to kindle into a frisson of desire. And yet he has loved her all this time.

I love Leo and his POV, how he is trying to find a way to have Kitty see him the way he has always seen her. And how Kitty, who is so scarred from loss, only wants a marriage of convenience, so as never to feel more loss than she already has. There was so much about how she felt/reacted within the novel that I found kinship with. OH and I can't forget the way Leo pushes past his own personal boundaries at the end to give Kitty the support and praise he knows she deserves. And I am always here for any type of 'lessons' within HR and Kitty teaching Leo how to be more rakish, and finding herself slowly seeing beyond the young man with a pension for calculations to the grown delicious man he has become was perfection.

He's nice and fine and she has a fear of abandonment...

Anna Bennett - listen carefully. No more rakes. Write about good men.
Why? Because I think this is the first book where I actually liked her leading man.
Leo has been smitten with Kitty for ages. He hasn't seen her in four years, but now he's back in Bellehaven. He wanted to declare himself, but realized that Kitty didn't want a nice, good, fine man. Nope. She idiotically, wants a rake, a rogue. Kitty, the only thing a rake will give you is an STD to go along with a broken heart.

Kitty wants to win the degin contest. I really liked that they were both architects.
They are both talented in different ways and as a young man, Leo teased her and scoffed at her achevements. He made them rivals because he had a crush on her. Kitty still sees him as a rival, not as a lovematch. But they make a deal. Leo will help Kitty with her design and in turn, Kitty will help Leo become a rake to win the favor of an unknown lady, but we all know its Kitty.
Recommend.

As this book opens, we meet Leo Lockland as he thinks about his feelings for Miss Kitty Beckett. He's been in love with her since they both were apprentices at his grandfather's architectural firm. Now his grandfather is retiring, and Leo will be taking over. Kitty still works there, and he hopes she will stay on. Not only for her talent but also for his heart.

Kitty Beckett has no desire to fall in love and get married to any man who would stifle her creativity. She intends on working after she's married and has no intention of marrying for love. The pain of losing someone you love, is too hard to overcome. She has a sort of radar that steers her to rakes, they don't want love, they like the game.

They are at Lady Rufflebum's ball, and he spies Kitty chatting with her friend Poppy, the Dutchess of Hawking, as he makes his way across the room. Before he can reach her another steps in and whisks her away to dance.

Leo's thoughts are interrupted by Poppy. She's happy to see him back in town, they have been friends since childhood. It's during their conversation he learns of Kitty's propensity towards rakes. That is a personality that Leo really can't compete with, he is the exact opposite of a rake.

When Kitty joins them following her dance, she sees Poppy conversing with a stranger. One whose stance reminds her of someone, sending her thoughts to Leo Lockland as they were prone to do at the most interesting times. Then Poppy confirms his identity. After a few barbs are thrown, he requests to speak with her alone and Poppy excuses herself.

They don't make it to the privacy of the terrace before the Mayor takes to the podium for an announcement surrounding the events of the opening of tourist season. The surprise announcement is a Design Contest with the winner's building breaking ground at the beginning of September and sponsored by Lady Rufflebum. This was just the thing to launch Kitty's career in architecture and would open the right doors for her when she takes herself off to London once she gains her inheritance.

With Leo in town, he would be the biggest competition, but she can and will win. However, she is going to need a favor, a big one.

Now we know how Leo feels, but not Kitty. So watching her deny what she feels for Leo is even more amusing.

The deal for him to aid with her calculations in exchange for her helping him become a rake is fun to watch. It does get a bit complicated when a colleague of Leo's from London comes on the scene. You know nothing good can come of that.

There's laughter, fun, tears, romance, adventure and a touch of sizzle in this delightful tale.

I can't wait to see what Anna's next project will be.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, plenty of banter
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? maybe a bit more character, but overall a good mix of both
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to me
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two years later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley

Should I read in order?
It would be enjoyable to do so but not totally necessary. There is page time with the two prior heroines and you’ll have a whole new understanding of the beach tent where this couple rendezvous a few times from the prior book (One Duke Down) but overall it’s pretty minimal and not affecting the story other than knowing the 3 heroines are friends. (Series starts with Girls Before Earls)

Basic plot:
Leo returns to Bellehaven Bay after 4 years away – just in time for Kitty to show him up in the architecture contest the town is hosting.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- English beach side small town setting (Bellehaven Bay)
- architect mains
- childhood frenemies to lovers
- unrequited love (from the hero)
- heroine has dimples!
- prodigal hero returns after 4 years away
- rake lessons
- opposites attract – Kitty is a bit emotional and whimsical and Leo is more rigid and by the book
- bet/bargain between the mains
- lower steam – there are 2 full scenes (and some kisses) but one is at the end

Ages:
- I don’t recall seeing them mentioned? But would think about mid twenties?

First line:
Forty-eight months and seventeen days away from Bellehaven Bay should have cured Leo of his infatuation with Miss Kitty Beckett – the beautiful, talented heiress who considered him her nemesis.

My thoughts:
I loved a lot about this book – the beginning was just perfection to me. I enjoy Bennett’s writing. But I got a bit frustrated in the latter half with Kitty.

The town is hosting an architecture contest that will give the winner 100 hundred pounds and put their building to construction. This gives our mains lots of opportunity for close proximity as they both work in Leo’s grandfathers former business (he’s since retired). Kitty also relies on Leo for calculations with math.

While the steam was a bit lower than what I wanted, I very much appreciated the tension and longing woven throughout the story that made it feel so much more satisfying when they come together. Also I love time spent on a first kiss!

I enjoyed the twists in this one and the bit of unexpected events for me – many of them turning the hero/heroine stereotypes on their head. I have read many heroes that protect their heart the way Kitty does, but not many heroines and it was fun to see the hero have to work so hard to earn her trust. Kitty is so strong and independent but deep down has such a longing for family – Leo needs to prove himself endlessly to Kitty.

And this was also my qualm with the story here was the that I think Kitty took it too far. My heart broke a bit when all was bared towards the end and it wasn’t enough after Leo had been nothing but amazing and steadfast. And it’s not just one time she acts like this but repeatedly. It made me doubt that she’d ever be happy with him, when he’s been nothing but pretty amazing to her.

There was a lot of refreshing communication in this one, and so much sweetness. I love Bennett’s writing and found myself highlighting so many passages. Despite my frustration with Kitty towards the end, this was such an enjoyable read and Bennett is becoming an author I want to read more of!

It Takes a Rake is the third book in Anna Bennett's delightful series Rogues to Lovers. I didn't read the first book and I wish I had, since our heroine in this tome was apparently the impetus for the romance in that one. However, this romance stands alone, as did book two. (That one, One Duke Down, was utterly charming, a true feel-good romance!) This one didn't have quite the same impact, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and featured a hero you couldn't help but root for!

Miss Kitty Beckett always had a flair for getting in trouble since she was a young girl. As an apprentice to an architect, she lived to irritate the boy who was also an apprentice. Now an adult, Kitty is an heiress and a talented architect who brings whimsy and beauty to designs. She can spot a rake and refuses to be charmed into marriage, which could interfere with her dreams and future. When Bellehaven Bay announces an architectural design contest, Kitty is determined to win...even if she must enlist the help of her former apprentice rival. Leo Lockland, said rival, is an accomplished architect and a whiz with numbers. He has returned to Bellehaven Bay after five years, and he has secrets. His biggest secret is he has always been in love with Kitty, who hasn't a clue about his affections. He is determined to win her heart, even if he has to pretend to be a rake to do so. Kitty agrees to tutor him about fashion and seduction if he agrees to help her win the design contest. His plan won't work if she knows he's in love with her, so he must play the part convincingly. He's apparently a quick study, and soon he puts her guarded heart in danger.

Kitty was a Bellehaven Belle, a self-named group of best friends which included her uncle's wife Hazel and Poppy, now the Duchess of Hawking. It took me awhile to warm up to her. Kitty decided when she would marry, it would be one of convenience and not for love. She was hurting still from the loss of her parents, and she felt as if she was losing her two best friends, as they were both married and were ready to start families. Too, Kitty secretly hurt that Leo left for London five years ago with nary a word. She would flirt and have fun, but no man would win her heart. She was determined to win the architectural design contest, then build a life in London. But then Leo returned... I loved that man from the start! It was refreshing that he knew he always loved Kitty, and he was resolved he would win her heart. There was a big reason he left Bellehaven which concerned his father, and he returned to his hometown to settle his now-deceased father's estate. No one knew his secret, and he was determined to keep it that way, including Kitty. I'm not sure how Leo learning to be a rake was supposed to win her heart, but it was a good way to bring them close together. Kitty tried really hard to keep her heart disengaged, but that wasn't meant to be, as she discovered the way he made her body feel brought her heart closer to his. When she discovered the truth about Leo's affection, she was upset about his ruse but he worked to build her trust. There were some funny and lighthearted scenes as Kitty started to fall for Leo; my favorite was a croquet match in which she became jealous. She could be quite vengeful when playing the game! When things became physical between Leo and Kitty, it was steamy but not overly graphic. When things fell apart between them, Leo made a grand gesture at the ball where the architectural winner was to be announced. It was totally unlike Leo and was hysterical and oh-so-sweet! I won't give away Leo's secret and the contest results; I don't want to ruin anyone's enjoyment. I just adore the way this author blends romance, humor and sweetness to make a satisfying and FUN story. This appears to be the last book in the series. I'm going to miss lovely Bellehaven Bay and its wonderful denizens. (And I'm going to miss the character name "Countess Rufflebum"; it always made me giggle!)

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Had to DNF, not in a historical mood but I'm confident when I am I will devour and love this story.

The hazards of being a mood reader...you just never know if you'll be in the mood within the time frame you need to read. 😭

I loved the first two books in this series but found this one just meh. It is a perfectly fine. It just didn’t grab me. I found Kitty a little hot and cold. Loved Leo. I wish I loved it more. I think if you like fairly low angst, sweet hero type books you will love this one.