thank you for the chance to read this one early!

i’m not usually the biggest fan of historical fiction cause i feel a little out of place reading it and there can be some weird old timey misogyny but i appreciated that the FMC was a dominant woman in a very male-centric career and didn’t give a crap what anyone thought. i loved the MMC and didn’t even think he needed to become a rake to be more likable but i liked the FMC’s realization about it and her feelings for him.

i would love to post about this to my social medias but i will be refraining until SMP acknowledges the boycotts and takes accountability.

It Takes a Rake is the third stand alone in the Rogues to Lovers series by Anna Bennett.

I adored our main characters, Miss Kitty and Leo. I love a good unrequited childhood love set up and this one did not disappoint. Leo was sweet and kind-hearted. Miss Kitty was fiery and independent. The two played off each other perfectly. I couldn't get enough of the charged moments that grew between them when Kitty started to see him more than just the frustrating young man she used to know. I also loved that she takes charge and isn't hesitant to go after her own personal pleasure. Which resulted in some passionate, steamy scenes.

Overall a great historical romance with a competition, friendly wagers, banter, kissing lessons, passion, pebbles thrown at windows, and taking a chance on love.

I usually love Anna Bennett's books but I had trouble connecting to Kitty and Leo. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the ending was very satisfying. However, I wish that we saw more interactions with Kitty and Leo once she started to open up. It felt like more tell than show and we were supposed to take the author's word for the connection rather than experiencing it.

Alas, this story didn’t live up to my expectations after reading the first two books in this series. It’s not a bad book, not at all. But I wanted more.

Things started out quite well. Kitty and Leo reconnect after years apart. They were frenemies back in the days they were both apprenticing under Leo’s grandfather. Leo and Kitty were fierce rivals, but while Leo knew back then that Kitty was the one for him, Kitty was oblivious to how deep their connection truly went. Now, after years apart, Leo is ready to declare his love. Of course, one thing after another gets in the way of his declaration.

The time Leo and Kitty spend together with her giving him lessons on being a rake is wonderful. I felt their connection growing and enjoyed their banter. Thankfully, Leo doesn’t take the whole book to tell Kitty how he feels, only once he does so the author doesn’t give them much time together anymore. We are told they spent weeks in a whirlwind and that Kitty starts seeing Leo’s point of view on their relationship, but we are not shown any of that time. This story was climbing up the mountain but started sliding back down before reaching its peak, and that’s a shame.

Most of the happenings in the last quarter of this book are things that were obviously going to happen. However, I did love Leo’s way of “proving” his devotion to Kitty. So there were a lot of wonderful things about this story, but the parts that fell flat pulled everything down a notch.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. Right from when she tried to make him over into a rake and all he wanted was to be near her. They also have a precious friendship that is unbreakable, even with time and distance. The couple are funny, loving, creative and theirs make for a wonderful love story.

I received an ARC of this entertaining book and leaving my review voluntarily.

Architect Leo Lockland has been in love with Miss Kitty Beckett for as long as he can remember and has known for just as long that she had no idea and considered him her nemesis. So when he left Bellehaven Bay four years ago thanks to his father, he tried to forget her, but she owned his heart and no amount of brandy or flirting or work could make him forget her. So now that his father has passed and his grandfather is getting older, Leo is returning to Bellehaven Bay to take over his grandfather’s practice and hopefully win Kitty’s affection once and for all. But almost immediately it is clear that Kitty hasn’t forgiven his hasty departure and clearly finds him too boring to consider as a husband. But when a design contest is announced, Kitty proposes a deal – he will help her with her building specifications and she will help him win his lady love by giving him “rake” lessons. He agrees, hoping that he will be able to win her heart and if not, then maybe he will finally be able to let her go and move on.

Kitty Beckett has known loss, sometimes it feels like loss is all she knows and that is why she doesn’t want to fall in love. Shortly she will come into her inheritance and will be able to live independently. She plans to move to London and start an architecture firm, and when she finally marries, she will find a man who is happy to share in her wealth, give her children, and leave her to live her own life, free from any emotional attachments. Because in her mind, love hurts too much and everybody leaves her in one way or another, starting with her parents, who died, then her uncle who left her at boarding school, and most recently Leo, who took off to London without a word of goodbye and no communication since he left. Now he is back, looking better than he should and obviously in love with someone. When the design competition is announced, she is ecstatic, winning would help her start her career on a positive note, she knows her drawings and concepts are unbeatable – even by Leo, but her mathematical calculations could use some work – and Leo is the best at numbers, so she offers him a deal, he helps her with her design calculations and she will help him attract the object of his desire by giving him rake lessons. It is the perfect solution and gives her a chance to engage in a bit of flirtation without any danger of losing her heart. Well, it was perfect until she lost her heart and it got broken. Can Leo make her see that his love is true and constant or will Kitty hold on to her fear and walk away from the love of a lifetime?

This was a well-written, nicely-paced, fun story with wonderful characters that perfectly wraps up the series. I loved Leo and Kitty together, but at times found myself annoyed with Kitty and her firm belief that love was pain. I know she has had more than her fair share of heartache, but she has also been witness to incredible love and so when she had the bobble with Leo, I felt that she should have had more faith in him instead of giving in to her fears. That aside, I thought this was the best book in the series and I would happily read it again and recommend it. The book has secrets, loss, emotion, wonderful chemistry, a sigh-worthy hero, great secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, grand gestures, a devious villain, and finally an ending that will warm your heart and gives our lovers a well-deserved happy ending. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone title.

4.5 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

It Takes a Rake is the 3rd book in the Rogues to Lovers series and this was such a cute, fun series! If you want a historical romance series that is set outside of society and the ballrooms, this series is a delight and all take place around this charming, seaside town.

Leo is back in Bellehaven Bay after four years away and his infatuation with Miss Kitty Beckett, the beautiful talented heiress who considered him her rival, was still strong! Kitty and Leo were a bit of architecture rivals when they were teens, they both worked as apprentices in his grandfather’s shop, and they always had a bit of a competitive relationship. When the story starts, Leo has closed up his architectural business in London to move back home and be nearer his recently-widowed mother in Bellehaven and take over his grandfather’s architectural shop.

His first night back, he runs into Kitty and also hears about a new design contest in the seaside town. Kitty has been working at his grandfather’s shop and is desperate to enter the contest, she even begs Leo to help her with the mathematical calculations (her weakness) on her project, and in return she’ll help him with something. He’s determined to win her heart and when she describes her dream man as a rake—the total opposite of him, he asks her to help him become a man like that (and hopefully along the way impress her)! And thus begins his lessons in becoming a rake!

This was just so charming and cute, I really was enjoying the setup of hero falling first and her having no idea and trying to make him into a rake to impress the “mystery girl” he was into. And then she starts having some feelings for him and decides she should obviously test out his kissing skills! It was just a lot of carefree-fun seeing these two together. I will say, while I was loving the first 65%, it did kind of lose my love once Kitty finds out he was into her the whole time. Her reaction to that and kind of the story/plot from there just wasn’t as exciting to me as the first half had started. Book 1 is still my fav, but this one was definitely better than 2! Fun setting, fun friend group, a bit far-fetched with the plots, but overall a cute series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own! It Takes a Rake is out January 23, 2024!

I melted while reading this book. I adore it when the male character falls first.
Leo has always been completely besotted with Kitty, but she has been oblivious to it.
They strike a deal: he helps with her drawing and she teaches him how to be a rake, which I thought was hilarious.
I give a lot of credit to Leo for keeping his wits about him. I also liked that Kitty thought she could marry without love and was willing to give it a try.
I knew when the conflict would ensue and hoped it could be alleviated quickly.
The only thing that I didn’t care for about the book is that I wanted to claim Leo for myself! Can I erase Kitty from the palms??🤭

This was a cute historical romance. I liked the setting because the village reminds me so much of the Sanditon adaptation: beachside village, new construction, cricket match on the beach, etc.

The main characters, Leo and Kitty, are pleasant and sweet. Leo has always loved Kitty and due to their shared time together, she is slowly acknowledging her attraction. The idea that Kitty knows enough to give “rake” lessons to the hero is a bit far-fetched, but it was fun nonetheless.

This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. Having read the entire series, does help with a deeper understanding of the characters' motivation.

3.5 rounded up

To say I'm disappointed in this final book in the Rogues to Lovers Series is an understatement. I have enjoyed the other books, even though the plots were a bit far-fetched, but "It Takes a Rake" stretches even my ability to accept certain things as truth. The character of Kitty rubbed me wrong from her first scene and knowing that Leo has been in love with the chit forever just begs the question: Why? Kitty is very much a child who has some growing up to do. One thing to Kitty's credit is that she doesn't do anything by half measure, it's all in for her.

Kitty Beckett has a passion for design and architecture and plans to go to London to pursue that as a career when she comes into her inheritance. She hasn't a clue what that will involve and just assumes London will fall at her feet just like everything else in her life, especially men. Now she is faced with two challenges and she not going to lose either. The first is to win the Bellehaven Bay Architectural Design Contest and the second is to turn her dear friend, Leo, from a staid, mannerly gentleman into a rake.

Leo Lockland grew up in Bellehaven Bay and he, along with Kitty, was an apprentice under his grandfather in his architectural business. He left Bellehaven and spent four years in London. Now, he's back and determined to win the heart of the vixen he left behind. Just one problem: she prefers rakes and he is so not a rake. How is he going to get her attention? When Kitty thinks he is after the attentions of another woman, she offers to give him lessons on how to be a rake. Little does she know that she is the woman he seeks to attract.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

I love a good trilogy and this one did not disappoint. Kitty and Leo are childhood frenemies that are reconnected a few years after Leo abruptly left for London with no goodbye or explanation. We find out throughout the book why he left and what he's dealing with as well as knowing Kitty has a hard time giving her whole heart to someone because of her trauma of being left orphaned by her parents and both of her friends (Hazel & Poppy from previous books) have their own families and lives now. This was a great story and gave us some insight as to where Hazel and Poppy are in their relationships and families. Highly recommend this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This book has one of my favorite tropes where one character is in love with the other, but the other doesn't see it or doesn't realize they are in love as well until a third party comes into the picture. That's a long way of saying 'you don't know what you have until it's (almost) gone'....

Leo Lockland has been in love with Kitty Beckett since they were interns learning architecture from his grandfather. Circumstances took him away for several years, but in all that time his love for Kitty has never dimmed. As far as Kitty was concerned, Leo was the source of her ire, always pushing her to be the best version of herself. When he returns to Bellehaven Bay, she's shocked at his transformation into a handsome man, but is determined to keep her heart out of the equation.

Of course, the best laid plans go awry - she offers to help him be more of a rake in order to win the heart of the woman he loves (without realizing it's her all along), but he's too quick of a learner and she finds herself becoming attracted.

Needless to say, it all works out in the end, but they definitely need to work to get there. It's a fun story with delightful dialogue, spicy heat, and lovely characters that you just can't help rooting for throughout. This is actually the third in a series but stands very well on its own. Highly recommended.

I'm a fan of this genre and loved this third book in the ROGUES TO LOVERS Series by an author I've enjoyed reading. Kitty and Leo, childhood friends and adversaries, are well-written and likable. Their love story flowed and matured, overcame misunderstandings and when the time was right, took them to their HEA. At no point was I not totally invested in their journey. Revisiting characters from earlier books in the series was also a treat. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Trouble-seeking heiress Kitty is determined to win an architectural contest. Her returning childhood rival Leo, secretly in love with her, offers to help in exchange for flirtation lessons. But his hidden feelings for her jeopardize everything. Will their lessons lead to love?

This light-hearted and emotional novel has likeable and engaging characters that you can’t help rooting for. Some aspects stretch credibility, but overall, it’s a fun read.

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

Kitty and Leo went from frenemies to lovers, but they had to learn the hard way to trust each other.

I loved the sensual interactions between Kitty and Leo that popped up at unexpected moments. But they were both so frustrating. At least Leo harboured no illusions about his feelings for Kitty and all he wanted to do was spend more time with her. Kitty was very hot and cold. She tended to attack first and ask questions later, though it was all meant to protect herself.

The contest and Leo’s secret provided excellent opportunities for tension, friction, and clever repartee. It was also lovely to see the characters from the first two books make plenty of appearances.

I can recommend this if you like steamy historical romance. This book stands well on its own, but the first two books are definitely worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The third and final “Belle” finally gets her book in the Rouges to Lovers series. Kitty and Leo are childhood nemesis/friends that reacquaint themselves when Leo returns home from London. Kitty is trying to make her dreams and hard apprenticeship work come true as a female in in a “ man’s” career, architecture. As one used to be left behind (the death of her parents, being sent to boarding school, the surprise disappearance of her friends ) this young miss decides to avoid love and marriage and instead she’s searching for a rake. Leo has always had feelings for Kitty, but family drama sends him running from home. Now that he’s back he’ll do anything to get Kitty, even pretend that he wants to learn to be a rake. Their training sessions are humorous for sure, but it’s the support Leo gives Kitty that has these frenemies start to show a new kind of tension (the hot kind).
This is not your typical historical romance. Let’s face it, most male leads in these kind of stories don’t have jobs, non the less the females, but it lends a nice contemporary vibe to a period romance. It’s a quick sweet read, with more steam then actual bedroom time, but the sexual tension vs friendship vibes are expertly balanced.
Even though this is the third book of the series you can enjoy this book on its own, but you’ll definitely get more out of it if you have read the other two before as there are many familiar characters in all three. It’s a nice quick read. 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this arc and offer my honest opinions.

Kitty and Leo are lifelong frenemies who weave in and out of each other's lives, frustrating each other to the point of insanity. When an architectural competition offers Kitty the chance of a lifetime, she makes an agreement with Leo. In return for his help proof checking her drawings, she'll teach him to be a lady killer so he can win the heart of the mysterious woman he's obsessed with. Angst ensues, etc etc.

I'm sorry but this was so boring that at multiple points today I found more excitement staring mindlessly out my window. Kitty's POC was reminiscent of a pre-teen girl (emo, weirdly horny, unwilling to step outside herself for 1 minute), and Leo....sir, they say nice guys finish last for a reason, you are BLAND sir.

The concept and execution isn't bad, but this book felt sooooo safe and perfectly pleasant in a way that is the opposite of what I am looking for in romance. It would truly take a rake to turn this book around.

Title: It Takes a Rake
Author: Anna Bennett
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…

Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.

Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.

Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.

Let the lessons begin…

Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…

I liked both Leo and Kitty, but Kitty seemed a bit illogical to me. Her closest friends made love matches, but she thinks those are pointless. She’s mad at Leo for having feelings for her, but she was jealous of his mystery woman before she knew it was her. And she gets irrationally angry with him without even listening to his explanation for things. So, I didn’t like that aspect of her personality at all. I enjoyed their repartee a lot, but Kitty was a bit too much of a diva for me.

Anna Bennett lives in Maryland. It Takes a Rake is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/25.)

This was such a cute ending to this series and I’m going to miss these ladies dearly!

Things I loved:
-Kitty’s boldness and drive
-Leo being utterly obsessed with her that he pretended to like someone else just so he can get lessons from Kitty on how to be a rake
-Leo’s attempts at being a rake 😂
-having Poppy and Hazel cameos from time to time

Both characters were perfect for each other…especially Leo…I mean I sure do love when a man is obsessed! However, Kitty’s character did bother me at times. Also that third act misunderstanding…you’ll be hearing from my lawyer.

Pub date: 1/23

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Wow, this was a great book with a really strong FMC and a wonderful MMC. I loved that in this book you get to see a strong, independent woman, one who knows what she wants and won’t take no for an answer.

This was my first Bennett read and it will not be my last. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and the way that the author makes you feel as though you’re there with the characters watching everything happen. This book is the third book in the Rogues to Lovers series, each book is a standalone but if you’re like me you will want to read the other ones because of how much fun the characters are.

The pace of the book is just perfect, and you really get a chance to know the setting of the book, and the characters. I didn’t feel as though I was missing something from the other books, but I know that if I was to read them, I would probably know more about the other side characters in the book. The characters are what really shine in this book, you can see Kitty and Leo have been frenemies since they were in their teens. Both loving the world of being an architect and being apprentices at the same shop, Leo is whisked away to London to start making his dream come true. However, there is a special woman that has held his heart for years now, and he goes back home to see if he can make his new dream come true with her.

Leo, he is so in love with Kitty and wants to tell her but fears hearing that she does not feel the same way that he gets her to help him become a rake, so he can get a chance with the women he loves. Little does she know that he would do anything for her. I loved watching these characters interact together, they made the book full of good old banter, great chemistry, and some great romance. I thought the plot was unique and kept you on your toes. I thought the character’s growth was done well, with nothing moving too fast or too slow. I loved the ending, and I won’t lie I did tear up a little bit with the sweetness of it.

Overall, I can’t wait to see what the first two books are all about and to read more from this author.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.