3.5 stars for It Takes a Rake

Leo is a smart and responsible rake who has returned to London to try and make it as an architect. After entering a local contest, he realizes that the woman he fell in love with, in his past, Kitty is back in his life.

Kitty Becket has dreams of being an architect and has also entered the local contest. Once there, she sees Leo and the two make a deal to try and help both of them get what they want. Along the way, the sexual tension becomes too much. Will love prevail?

This is my first read in the trio of books, and I never felt like I was lost in the story by not reading the previous books. Leo was a nice and sweet hero of the book however, like other readers, I felt like the character of Kitty left a lot to be desired, especially in the first half of the book. Her spoiled, bratty and immature actions were almost too much for me and there was several times where I almost quit reading. While I don't expect every character to be fully developed in the beginning of the story, Kitty could've used a little bit of tweaking and maturity. I enjoyed how the story ended and would be open to trying one of the other books by the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my reviews and honest opinions.

First kudos to the beautiful cover. All three covers in the Rogues to Lovers series have been great. Miss Kitty Beckett is an heiress nearing the time of gaining her inheritance. She was independent enough to apprentice to an architect in her quaint beachside town. Her plans are to use her money and move to London to work as an architect. She wouldn’t mind being married and would like to have children but they would need to accept her goals. Leo Lockland is an architect too and has been working in London. The two started their training together years before. He left town four years ago hurting her feelings by not explaining or saying goodbye.

He says he has returned because he has feelings for someone and she offers to help him with rake lessons that will attract the woman. Of course she doesn’t realize it is her he wants. He in return will double check her calculations on her plans for the town competition. This is a very enjoyable, historical romance with a strong heroine. And I love when men fall and profess their love first. This can easily be read as a stand alone but it is fun to see the other books being involved in the story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

It Takes a Rake is a historical romance with friends to lovers theme and can be read as a standalone even though it’s the last book in the Rogues to Lovers series. Kitty Beckett and Leo Lockland grew up as childhood friends and sometime rivals into talented architects. After disappearing for a few years, Leo is back in town to pursue his career and try to get enough nerve to confess his long time love. Kitty wants to win the local architectural competition to get her name some recognition. A deal is made as Kitty agrees to teach Leo to be the rake all girls long for if he will help her with the measurements on her designs. Kitty doesn’t want a love marriage but the more the lessons heat up she can’t deny wishing for Leo’s affection. Leo’s transformation into the perfect rake leads to a fun and steamy HEA that will leave you swooning for our hero. My voluntary, unbiased and non mandatory review is based upon a free review copy from NetGalley.

It Takes a Rake is the last title in Anna Bennet's series, Rogues to Lovers. It appears as you begin that It Takes a Rake will be a light, cute read but as you continue you find that it tangles with feelings of betrayal and fears of being left behind. It was realistic in the way it portrayed Leo and Kitty actions and reactions to each other as they hid their secrets thoughts and feeling from each other.
Leo and Kitty have a history as they worked as interns in Leo's grandfather’s Architectural firm in the seaside town of Bellehaven. They were frenemies and opposites in many ways but especially in their building designs.
They are brought together again as Leo returns to London to assist his widowed mother and aging Grandfather. I am always pulled in by a brainy, kind hero and Leo fits the type. Kitty is also intelligent, but she must fight to be seen as a capable architect in a man's world. Anna always writes characters that I admire, and she did it again in this book!
so loved the pace of the story and the way these two discover just how they feel about each other. The banter is witty and funny, and it serves to build the tension between the two. They fall back into the same pattern of friendship that they had from their teenaged years, but Leo has a dream, and he will do what is needed to fulfill his dream even if he has to show his inner rake! Kitty defiantly has reactions to this side of Leo!!
I was so fired up to read Kitty story. Readers met the teenaged Kitty in book one of the series and I was eager to see what Anna created for her story. I cheered her on as stubborn Kitty discovered that the tidy, considerate Leo was the one she never saw coming!
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and I am basing my voluntary review on my personal reading experience!

3.5

Kitty and Leo have been childhood friends. Leo has always been in love with Kitty. Leo returns from London and is faced with seeing Kitty in his every day life again. Kitty wants a relationship with a rake and takes the opportunity to guide Leo and being a rake.

As much as I liked the premise, I could not get over the fact that Kitty didn’t seem to value or care for Leo as much as he did for her.

This was third and final in the Rogues to Lovers series.

Taking place in the seaside town of Bellehaven Bay, Kitty and Leo grew up rivals as architect apprentices. Leo left for London but is back 4 years later and is determined to win Kitty’s heart who he has always secretly loved.

They both enter an architectural contest and exchange favors…he gives her help with technical details and she turns him into a rake (what all the ladies want) to win the heart of the unknown woman that he loves (Kitty herself). As she gives lessons in rakish behavior to the honorable and gentlemanly Leo, humor and hijinks ensue.

I enjoyed this, especially Leo’s character, who in my opinion had the patience of a saint where Kitty’s insecurities and neediness were concerned. Cute interactions, steamy moments and sweet declarations.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the free early arc of It Takes a Rake for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Miss Kitty Beckett has learned the hard way not to give her heart away because people always leave her. It's not always their fault, but the result is the same so Kitty has learned to protect her heart and keep everyone at bay. Except for her childhood friend, Leo Lockland who has always been there for her until he wasn't. Another abandonment for Kitty to endure.

Leo Lockland is a talented architect who left his village to pursue a career in architecture. He left in a hurry after finding out a devastating family secret and never said goodbye to anyone, not even Kitty. Now he's back and his feelings for the feisty miss have not changed. He loves her with all his heart, but she's not very welcoming to him when he returns. Now he must find a way to win her heart and make her his forever.

This was a cute story, although a bit far-fetched in some of the plot points. It took a while to warm up to Kitty until well into the book when the author reveals why Kitty keeps everyone at arm's length. I loved Leo more. He was kind, generous, and honorable and never gave up on Kitty. There is a bit of a villain in the story, but it was easily discerned what he was about. All in all, it was an enjoyable story, but there was no great passion and I don't think I'd read again.

This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

This is a thoroughly entertaining and well written story.

Leo Lockland returns home after a few years in London. He has always had feelings for Kitty Beckett, who he apprenticed with at his grandfather's architectural firm. Kitty was a rival but was heartbroken when he left without even saying goodbye.

There are secrets, drama and a lot of interesting characters throughout the book.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and these are my honest opinions.

3.5 stars
The writing is easy to read and get into. Kittie and Leo are interesting, intriguing, relatable characters. I enjoyed many of their interactions. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story. The plot is an interesting one, and I enjoyed the friends to enemies to lovers trope. Unfortunately for me, I think this was the wrong time for this book as I struggled at times to connect or stay connected with the main characters and their story. Part of this is likely due to the modern feel of this story, which I don’t connect with in my historical romances.

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

"It Takes A Rake" book 3 in the Rogues To Lovers series was another enjoyable read. I believe you could read this book as a standalone but highly recommend checking out the first two books in this series.

I thought the author did a fantastic job crafting an engaging love story, I really enjoyed seeing Leo and Kitty's relationship develop and grow. Their interactions felt authentic and the story had a natural flow to it.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading an engaging Historical Romance.

Thank you Anna Bennett, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

It Takes A Rake picks up some time after One Duke Down. Poppy already has a babe and now Hazel is expecting as well.

It makes Kitty, the third of the Belles a little melancholic. Ever since her childhood, she has learned that people will leave her. If not by death (like her mother), then by marriage (like Hazel and Poppy) or by just leaving her (like Leo).

So, she has decided not to fall in love. But since she would like to have a career and a child of her own, she will need a husband. Therefore she figures, she will find herself a rake and that will be that.

After having left for London four years ago, Leo has now returned home to provide for his mother and grandfather. And when facing Kitty, he realizes that he still loves his childhood nemesis. While apprentencing together at his grandfather, Kitty and he used to trade barbs and try to outperform each other. And now, having returned, only to find that Kitty has changed into a vibrant woman.

Determined to make her see, he is the right man for her, he tries to become the sort of rake that she claims to like. A funny, cozy and cute read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc

I quite liked the first book in this series so I happily signed up for this ARC, but then was underwhelmed with the second book I read to catch up, and now ended up disliking this one. Which is a shame. I like the ‘hero falls first’ trope, so this started off well, and I like that they shared a passion for architecture. But the heroine is rather a ninny, and it made me really start to question why the hero is even so enamored with her in the first place, (especially after several years away). I ended up deciding that it’s a Manic Pixie Dream Girl scenario. Minor spoiler as evidence <spoiler> Honestly anyone over the age of 6 who would seriously propose to a client gold walls and crystal chandeliers in a horse stable is more than *just* fanciful. </spoiler> Pretty soon the whole story felt kind of ridiculous and the hurdles to their relationship painfully contrived.

It was a bad fit for me, but would be better for someone who enjoys more whimsy and is happy to just go along with wherever the author takes them.

This was a very satisfying conclusion to what has been a wonderful series. I'm very glad the author jumped ahead by 4 years for this book to give Kitty some time to grow and mature a bit. Her relationship with Leo strikes the right balance between being sweet and yet also full of lots of sexual tension. Leo's decision to keep secrets from Kitty relating to his family for so long into the book is frustrating, but understandable given that he has not even spoken to his mother about what he discovered. His longstanding devotion to Kitty, despite her being oblivious and/or in denial, is very endearing, though.

As with book 2 in the series (which I loved), this might not be entirely historically accurate--especially with Kitty planning to move to London alone and start her own architecture firm--but it's such a joy to read that you can easily overlook those issues. I highly recommended this for fans of Tessa Dare's Spindle Cover series or anyone looking for a cozy and sweet historical romance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

A nice change of pace to be swept away to small town living with big dreams. Kitty has definite plans for her future, Find and marry a rake, then live her dream of becoming an architect. She has had to many disappointments in her past and once she receives her inheritance her dreams can become a reality. And then Leo returns after 4 years making a name for himself from London.
Leo returns home to be there for his mother and takeover his grand father architect business since he has retired. Meeting up with Kitty, his first and only love, he invites her to continue to use the office. Kitty and Leo both were apprentices under his grandfather, but also nemesis. Leo has decided it’s time to tell Kitty his true feelings has for her, but a rake he is not! Unless Kitty will tutor him.
This was the third in the series and I hadn’t read the previous books, but still enjoyed the story of Kitty and Leo way to their HEA. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #ItTakesaRake

Kitty and Leo were both apprentices to his grandfather’s architecture office before Leo suddenly moved to London. Four years later, he’s back in town after his father’s death and taking over the architecture business. He’s had a longstanding crush on Kitty all this time, even though she had never noticed him in that way, and they always bickered and fought when they worked together. Total opposites just getting on each other’s nerves. Well, now that he’s back, Kitty is teasing him for being too much of a nice guy to get his dream girl, so somehow she’s trading rake lessons for math checking on her latest architectural design. She doesn’t know that Leo only has eyes for her and the transformation is really to spend more time with her, and of course, she’s totally confused when she realizes that Leo is actually very attractive. She’ll need to get over her fear of the nice guy if she wants a chance at long-standing happiness with him.

It Takes a Rake is the third book in the Rogues to Lovers series by Anna Bennett. If you haven't read the other two I think that's okay however, there are connected characters that pop up in this one, and Kitty's story from earlier books is referenced. That said I don't think it would entirely ruin this book for you if you wanted to jump in right at this one.

Miss Kitty Beckett has dreams. She grew up in Bellehaven Bay and one of her favorite things was being an apprentice to an architect...that is if you don't include the annoying boy who used to sit across from her in the office and was her biggest competition. Regardless, she won't be tricked into marriage and has determined love isn't in the cards for her even though her best friends have proven it does exist. Instead, Kitty is going to get her inheritance and move to London to become an architect in her own right and when Bellehaven Bay leaders announce its first-ever architectural design contest, she vows to win!

Leo Lockland is a hardworking architect and has returned home to Bellehaven Bay after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest one is that he has been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices but he quickly finds out that she refuses to give her heart to any man. Leo isn't about to give up though. Instead, he promises to help Kitty with her design in exchange for lessons on how to be a rake so he can win the girl he has his heart set on...but he doesn't tell her that girl is her.

I thought the way the story was developed was great. We get glimpses of who they were when they were younger and apprentices together mixed in with who they are now. There are feelings on both sides but when Leo left without a word, he made Kitty wonder what she could have done and initially, he isn't ready to share with her what prompted him to head to London as it could hurt others around him. As they continue to work together and eventually take things further than being friends, they both have to determine what they are willing to do to be together.

I enjoyed this book in the series. If you've read the others, you should definitely pick this one up to see how things wrap up, and if you haven't, consider reading all 3 when you can. I'll be reading more from Bennett in the future, that's for sure as her stories have great characters and a good story that is fairly quick to read.

I adore this author and this book was just another amazing read. The main characters were so good and the story just brought me in and never let go. I wish I could be friends with these characters even during that time period. I just highly recommend this book.

The third, and I think best in the series, maybe because we met our heroine Kitty in the first book, "Girls before Earl's," as a rebellious teen. She was always praised for her drawing abilities, and in the second book, "One Duke Down," she is an apprentice architect.
Leo, who was an apprentice with her in his grandfather's office, was her nemesis as they worked and bantered together.
One day, Leo took off for London with no explanation, and we do not learn why until almost the end of the book, but Kitty feels abandoned, as she felt when her parents died. She believes love cannot last, so she decides she will only marry for convenience and not love.
Leo hopes to change her mind and allows her to try and help him become a Rake. That part is very adorable. He has a secret that eventually comes out in a surprising way.
What I like about this series is that each woman is strong and talented, and each stands up to the man who she will eventually marry. In turn, the men are wonderful character, each understanding, yet relentless in their pursuit. Though this could be a standalone, I enjoyed watching Kitty's development through the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. My opinions are my own.
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Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, MMC "makeover"
Steam level: 3
Third book in the Rogues to Lovers series, but works pretty well as a standalone

4 stars based on the engaging writing style, my liking for Leo and the banter, humor, and sexual tension in the first half of the book. Leo is a a great cinnamon roll hero: sweet, caring, modest, a bit straight-laced but sexy at the same time. I will admit that I haven't read the previous two books in the series, when he would have been first introduced, but I was rooting for him the whole way.

I had a few issues with Kitty. I was willing to accept some of her attitude based on the struggles a woman would have endured to become an architect in those days, and her fears of abandonment based on her past. Still, I needed to see a bit more character growth from her and more of the emotional bond she felt for Leo. When he first divulged his feelings I was disappointed in her reaction.

Other nitpicks that took me a bit out of the book and kept this from being less than 4.5 stars:
--Kitty's unrealistic "superwomanish" scene where she helped save Leo and a young boy from drowning.
--Kitty's too-modern behavior with Leo afterward. I would have preferred more of a slow-burn segue into their physical relationship.
--You can pretty much guess what's going to happen with the Big Secret and myriad misunderstandings, but Leo's idea to pin the note to a curtain on the beach was ridiculous. Too much suspension of disbelief required at this point in the plot.
--I did not like the subplot involving Leo's dad. Brought down the otherwise lightweight tone of the book for me and then everything was too glossed over.
--What happened with the "baddie" (sort of) was disappointing. More could have been done with this character.

Overall: Enjoyable escapism and plenty charming, especially the first half, but could have been a bit more character-driven and less convoluted as the storyline progressed.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. This book is set to be published January 23.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: January , 2024
Series: Rogues to Lovers, #3
Pages: 320

“It Takes a Rake” is the last installment of Rogues to Lovers Series and thought the second book was a bit better than this one, although this one was quite enjoyable too. Leo has been in love with Kitty for some time as both were apprentices in architect. He plans to open an office and pretty much a good many who has good character. Kitty on the other hand is a bit immature in this story…when she acts like a baby and is unable to get her way. I thought Kitty could have been a bit more mature in this story considering she has some schooling in her background, but she was a bit overbearing during the read that made me quite annoyed with the heroine. At times, I could not understand why Leo put up with Kitty in the first place. However, it was good to see her character develop to a mature stature close to the end of the book.
I would have liked more information on Leo’s exit from Bellehaven and Kitty’s emotion of abandonment by her parents. Concluding, the story was a well written standalone, pace was acceptable, and had the steamy that I look for in my historical romance reads. Leo was an admirable and sappy character to know throughout the pages. I do love Anna Bennet as an author and look forward to other reads.