This next book in the rake chronicles series follows Trem and Henrietta (brothers best friends little sister trope) in which Trem is to save Henrietta reputation by overhearing her obsessive ex Hartley claims he’s bedded her outside of marriage. We quickly learn it’s not a claim at all but truth and Henrietta doesn’t want to marry Hartley out of obligation.

I really like Lydia’s writing style as she depicts scenes very well. I think this would’ve benefited more with more emotions coming from the main couple as it sometimes felt surface level, maybe showing a few past scenes of the couple growing up wouldve helped instead of telling them. I will admit I didn’t always care for Henrietta. I just wasn’t emotionally invested in the couple. I DO look forward to reading more in this series.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When the Viscount Wanted Me is the second book in Lydia Lloyd's Rake Chronicles series. You could read this one as a stand alone (like I did) but I feel like I had missed some stuff along the way. Lloyd is a new to me author and I was excited to jump in when I saw it would be a brother's best friend trope but I'm feeling slightly conflicted. On one hand, I liked the main couple; Henrietta and Trem. I think this book suffers from being too detailed sometimes and therefore I found myself skipping over parts. It felt like the author was excited to share all the facts she learned while researching and stuffed them all into the book. The perfect example of this is the chapter at the intellectual salon. She introduces a ton of characters that have detailed backstories but are never seen or mentioned again. They were superfluous to the plot and it felt that way. I would have been perfectly content if the story had ended at the 60% mark.

This is a spicy one; almost with no rhyme or reason. It began to feel perfunctory towards the end. Reading this review back, it almost seems like I didn't like it. I did enjoy it (mostly.) The story opening was so interesting and unlike any other historical. Trem falls very quickly. I'm not sure if I missed some interactions in the previous book, but I wish that the author had expanded upon some past moments that were mentioned in passing. The whole plotline with Justin went on a bit too long. It was also a bit confusing having John be okay with the engagement at the onset and then next time you see him, he hates Trem and is willing to throw away a decades long friendship. I had whiplash.

I'd be willing to give Lloyd another try in the future. I think her writing just needs a bit more editing for content.

Tropes included: reformed rake, ruined heroine, stalker ex, brother's best friend, I've loved you forever, sickbed, runaway heroine, bluestocking heroine, family secrets, orphaned hero, secret relationship, childhood friends to lovers, age gap, illegitimate heroine, high spice

Thank you to NetGalley, Lydia Lloyd and Tule Publishing for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #WhentheViscountWantedMe #TulePublishing #TheRakeChronicles

Unfortunately I dnf'd this book after really enjoying the first, solely because some of the tropes didn't work for me.

I didn’t realize how much I liked the best friend’s sister trope. This story starts off with a bang and then a bang, bang and never lets you catch your breath. Second book by Lydia and just lovely. There is a lot going on in this story between illegitimacy, feelings of not living up to expectations, and crazy dudes. Bless his heart, Hartley – he is clueless. Anyway, back to the main characters. I really liked both of them and their interactions. I felt the story went on a little too long but as I said, it was packed full. I look forward to the other friends’ stories. Did we get kind of a hint? I don’t know really, maybe.

If you ever want to read a smutty historical romance, then this is the book for you. This book was never slow, it is very fast pace and smutty. So much It's always been you vibe.

A fast moving story that is over the top with steam, there is a warning page on this so don't disregard it! Henrietta is involved with an Earl but refused to marry him. She also finds out a secret that impacts her way of thinking and her life. Trem, moves from his "I think of you as a younger sister", into a much more personal and permanent one which causes him to struggle with Henrietta as well as himself. I like this author however found this particular story to be a bit more repetitive than I care for. I did think the plot was a bit all over the place and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if it was a bit more focused. I will continue to read this author because her creativity and willingness to take some risks is extremely refreshing. fast moving story that is over the top with steam, there is a warning page on this so don't disregard it! Henrietta is involved with an Earl but refused to marry him. She also finds out a secret that impacts her way of thinking and her life. Tem, moves from his "I think of you as a younger sister", into a much more personal and permanent one which causes him to struggle with Henrietta as well as himself. I like this author however found this particular story to be a bit more repetitive than I care for.

Brother’s best friend trope is like catnip for me. I love it and after reading John and Catherine’s book, I was ready for his sister’s story. I loved her and her refusing to wait to experience what men could easily experience without the shame attached. My only problem was that Trem and Henrietta jump into a relationship and the emotional attachment was missing until later in the book. The second two volumes sucked me in way more than the first. This is a solid 3.5 stars.

"When the Viscount Wanted Me" is Lydia Llyod's second book in her "The Rake Chronicles"-series and follows the previously introduced characters of Henriette and Trem.
When Trem hears in a gentlemen's club that someone is claiming to have slept with Henriette, his best friend's sister, he can't help himself but to get involved into the situation. He quickly discovers that Henrietta had in fact relations with a man called Hartley but refuses to marry him. To solve the issue of her ex-lover that spreading rumours about Henrietta's lost virtue, Trem and Henrietta get engaged. Quickly, their emotions get involved, John and Trem's friendship troubled and family rumours uncovered.

Firstly, I'd like to say that in comparison to book one I felt much more invested in the story of the two main characters. The stage was previously developed well enough that diving back into the world of the four Rake that rule London was easy and fun.
The entire set-up of the plot was interesting. Honestly, I had not read a historical romance with the premise of an unlucky one-night-stand of a debutant involving into an adventure, and I give credit where credit is duo, Lydia came up with something rather unique.
Additionally, Lydia's writing has really involved from book one to book two. The conversations felt more realistic, the jokes hit better, the transition from one scene to another was much smoother. I'd recognises some reasonable growth here.

Now to the main characters: Henrietta and Trem. I start with Henrietta. Overall, I liked the idea of her concept, but I felt a bit of a disconnect between aspects of her person. On one side you have Henriette the daughter of a duke, the diamond of the season with a every men in the ton begging for a moment of her attention, but behind that exterior is a insecure young woman with a big secret: she is illegitimate with a birth mother living somewhere in the countryside unwilling to meet her. On the other side Henriette is a bluestocking writing for a women's magazine with feminist undertones, attends get-togethers with Black people and non-aristocrats. On top of that she wants to enjoy casual sex in a society that looks down on her for choosing so. For me those two sides don't really work together and I think to make Henriette a more compelling character Lydia should have chosen one of the other.
That would have also solved the issues of the wobbly plot and too many plot lines. With an insecure Henrietta going on a road trip to meet her mother, connecting with Trem over the loss of their parents and insecurities would have made a lovely story. Or choosing rebellious Henriette had have her and Trent fight off society's judgement and get rid of Henrietta's ex-lover harassing her. Just taking off a bit of the clutter over the characters and story could have vastly improved the overall novel.
Trem could have been a bit more complex. The story starts with him denying he is lonely and then never going back to why. We learn he has a habit of pursuing complicated romances that end with broken hearts, but he never works through that in the story. We learn that he basically just parties and hangs out with friends, and at the end of the book he decides to find a purpose in life, but we don't really get a real look on what he decides to with his life. He starts a sexual relationship with Henrietta, a girl he has known for most of his life, from one moment to another. Not much going on internally. Though, we know Henrietta has been in love with Trem forever, he wasn't. She was a child and he a grown man, so their relationship felt extremely abrupt.

And I can't believe I am writing there is way too much sex in this books. Like it doesn't aid the plot, it doesn't tells us anything about their relationship, they just get naked every 25 pages and that's that.
Oh, he eats a strawberry out of her genitals. That was traumatising and gave me major Lisa Kleypas flashbacks.

Overall, my opinion about Lydia having potential hasn't changed. Her writing improved, she cured herself from being to heavy on tropes instead of writing an actual story and her characters feels more and more like real people. I wish I could have rated it higher, but the plot was just too much all over the place and the characters too inconsistence for me to justify a 4 star rating. I'll keep my eyes out for book three and hope that I will detect further growth in the next instalment.

i love lydia lloyd! her writing is such a fresh voice in the historical romance genre. i loved the supporting cast, the supporting cast's relationships, and all of the plot points! she put kind of a unique spin on the "brother's best friend" trope. the spice was also so fun, which is especially notable for a trad pub historical romance. i will say, i didnt feel the majority of their chemistry/emotional connection until like 75% in, and before that point, their connection was based mostly on lust and off-page past encounters. by the end, though, I did feel like I knew the characters well and felt that they were good together. the characters' relationships with their parents were very emotionally compelling, too. overall, I didn't love this as much as the first of Lloyd's books, but I still really enjoyed it and would recommend.

We had a ton of fun reading this book. At first glance, it's a "brother's best friend" Historical Romance: Henrietta has been in love with Trem for years. She's now grown up enough to be truly in love, and grown up enough for him to notice. But when you look closer, Lydia Lloyd takes one of the most reactionary parts of HR and plays with it: Henrietta is "experienced." For many HR readers, even the ones who are feminist, this is enough to be a dealbreaker. "It's not historically accurate!" "She wasn't even in love with the other man!" Honestly? That's a huge part of what we liked about this one. Despite lip service to the double standard of the rake and the wallflower, having a truly "rakish" heroine seems to be difficult for readers to accept. In this book, Lloyd gives us an FMC who, despite having longterm feelings for the MMC, decides to make love to another man. In fact, that is what brings Trem and Henrietta together: Trem overhears her partner talking about their night together. Since he is a longtime friend of the family, he wants to save Henrietta's reputation. But now that these two finally have an excuse to be alone together, they honestly cannot stay away from each other.

This could have been read as Trem discovering that his friend's younger sister is DTF so why not take advantage? Instead, his discovery of her "sins" seems to be the catalyst that makes him realize that she's no longer off-limits - and he wants to lock her down ASAP. The beginning of the book is front-loaded with steam, as Trem uses the time-honored historical romance courting technique of seducing his beloved into marriage. We particularly liked that what could have turned into a miscommunication plot instead just led to a solidification as the couple as a team.

We really appreciate what Lydia Lloyd is trying to do with romance! Definitely recommend this one. Go in with the right expectations and we think you'll have a very (very) good time.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was a fun historical fiction romance. I liked the main characters a lot. I didn't read the first in the Rake Chronicals series, but would be interested in doing so.

Lydia Lloyd is a talented writer, her books are so well researched, one can identify very easily with her characters and their feelings.
.
Lady Henrietta made a complicated decision believing that her friend the Earl of Hartley could keep the secret and remain as her friend, but of course things are different between men and women. And when the Earl of Hartley gets drunk and talks too much in the gentleman's drawing room and her brother's best friend, the Viscount of Tremberley, overhears him and decides to take matters into his own hands, Henrietta cannot hide the truth, especially when he decides to help her and begins to look at her with different eyes, the way she always wanted
.
Among so many unexpected plot twists in the history, a bumpy road trip and some risks on the way, passion gives it rise to a beautiful love story that is difficult to forget.
.
This is the perfect book for fans of Bridgerton and steamy historical romances.
.
Thanks to Lydia Lloyd for give a copy of her beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Second book in the series and still not perfect, but oh boy was it fun!!!
This book has best friend’s little sister, it’s always been you, a fake highwayman, road trip, one bed, compromised by curiosity, a lovesick fool who doesn’t quit, real parents, substitute parents, dead parents, tons of delicious steam and sizzling secret rendezvous, a brotherhood with a dent, loyal lady friends, a feisty heroine going after what she wants and a hero supporting her from the start.

Most of the characters from the previous book returned and I loved to see them interact one-on-one in different situations, the subtle changes and yes, with longstanding friendships like these, old sores are bound to come up in stressful situations. How they each handled them surprised me a little, but those very human reactions and interactions are so beautifully written and I could really feel the emotion - good and bad - in them.
The romance between Henrietta and Trem has been a long time coming, and when it finally ignites, it’s all-consuming. These two just fit so perfectly, and I really liked how they took the time to get reacquainted even though they’ve known each other their entire lives. Her impulsiveness lands them in trouble more than once, but he’s all in for the ride - bumps, bullets and all!
It’s really nice to read an open and honest relationship that evolves easily for once. It’s all the drama around and about them that drives the plot, and I really enjoyed it!
An excellent read, and you should definitely check it out!

Even though I enjoyed the uniqueness of this story, I'm disappointed to say that I didn't love this sequel as much as the first in the series. Henrietta was such a breath-of-fresh-air heroine; she was impulsive and a bit naïve but refused to be constrained by society's rules. Trem played the part of our handsome and charming rake, always available for a grand time and abreast of the finest gossip of the ton. However, one fateful conversation leads Trem to Henrietta's doorstep under the cover of darkness and changes their destinies forever...

I loved the first half of this story. Even though Trem and Henrietta's relationship seemed to progress rather quickly, I found it believable because of their shared history, which only added to the sexual tension that swiftly blossomed between them. Their clandestine assignations were some of the most heated scenes I've ever read (especially the breakfast room scene🥵), but I admit that part of me lost interest around the halfway mark as the plot seemed to plateau. Yes, the sexy scenes are great, but I prefer more action and danger interspersed between them. Overall, this was still an enjoyable if a bit disappointing read, but I'm still eager for Montaigne and Leith's books next🖤

Tropes: brother's best friend, childhood friends-to-lovers, rake hero, non-virgin heroine, 'it's always been you' vibes, age-gap, unrequited love, hurt/comfort, obsessed hero, illegitimate heroine, OM drama (no cheating), STEAMY🔥

Caught up in the makings of potential social ruin, Lady Henrietta Breminster enlists the help of the Viscount of Tremberley to keep the gossips of the ton at bay. Needless to say that her long held crush on Trem and his new attraction to his best friend’s sister makes this a situation that both do not regret.

The strength of this story lies in the individual growth that happens for Trem and Henrietta in confronting aspects of their past that haunt their present. They each had clear arcs that allow the reader to see each character and their actions through the culmination of their past experiences thus far.

If you are a fan of steamy historical romances, then this will be right up your alley. I am fine with steam as long as there is a strong emotional connection being built. Unfortunately, the emotional connection and romance was not particularly strong in this story.

Overall, this is an entertaining read about two people who grow and support one another while dealing with the ghosts of their past, and a more present and pressing issue that all comes to a head in a satisfying conclusion.

3.25✨’s

Thanks to Tule Publishing for the opportunity to respond to this book. All honest opinions are my own.

This is Lydia Lloyd’s second novel in her “Rake Chronicles” series. I enjoyed her debut, and was excited to read “When the Viscount Wanted Me.” I found it to be a more ambitious story with elements that did and did not work as a result.

I admit to surprising myself with some initial prudish feelings when Lady Henrietta Breminster (the little sister of the MMC in the first novel) decides to be intimate with a friend simply because she wanted to. I do not need virginal characters in my historical romance, and I am okay with characters (women, especially) having other sexual partners than the main romantic pairing. I think my reaction was based on the way historical romance usually portrays female sexuality – which is women who believe themselves in love with their early sexual partners (sometimes it leads to ruin, or the first lover dies, etc.). While I would never suggest anyone only have intercourse with someone they love, and I certainly don’t need it in my contemporary romance, I did have to recalibrate my regency romance expectations.

The hypocrisy of sexuality, the expectations on women, purity, sexual “rebellion”, etc., are all fascinating topics and somewhat under-explored. I think the story would have been better for focusing solely on these ideas. Instead, Lloyd also explores racial politics in England in the 1830s, but this is more of a non-sequitur since this involves side characters and isn’t as explored as it could have been.

I also thought there were ideas on character / personality that had me pause. For example, there was a lot of emphasis on the idea of personality as biologically determined; Henrietta is impulsive and hedonistic because her mother was the same way.

Henrietta’s actions cause scandal and a rift between her brother and his best friend, her love interest. Everyone is quick not to fault her actions, and sooth her guilt, but I would have liked a bit more ownership and real contrition – feelings I thought were missing, and I can understand if readers are turned off by an otherwise compelling character.

There is a lot of smutty smut in this book, including a set of pearls worn on the inside, fruit in interesting places, and regular boinking. It was almost too much – but only in the context of some under-explored ideas mentioned above.

I received an ARC of this book, but the review is my own.

When Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley, overhears the drunken Earl of Hartley claiming to have bedded Lady Henrietta Breminster, his best friend’s little sister, he is livid. He drags the earl to Breminster House to confront Henrietta. It soon becomes clear that the story is true and that Trem realises that his anger is really jealousy. Henrietta has been in love with Trem since her teenage years, and now she wonders whether she can make him feel the same for her. When Henrietta asks Trem to help her keep her indiscretion secret and to help her keep away from Hartley and his stalker-like behaviour, they find their relationship taken to a new level.
This is a love born out of passion and yet, as they spend more time together, they begin to reveal their past. In discovering how their past has shaped them, they resolve past hurts. Whilst this was definitely a spicy romance, it wasn’t too overwhelming nor did it detract from the storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed both characters as well as that of Trem’s friends which included Henrietta’s brother John. A wonderful romance and a great addition to the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the first. Especially for what I am about to say in this review.

Le sigh, well, I am conflicted.
I was extremely excited for this book. I am a sucker for brother’s best friend and age gap romances and then also making this a steamy read, I was so ready for it. And for the main story between the main couple, this book delivered! It was amazing, the steam was so freaking off the charts incredible. I love me a two pump chump and this scene… My goodness, I had to fan myself. It was so amazing! The Hartley plotline was worked out excellently, I had a great time reading that. I loved sassy Henrietta, I loved Trem realizing that he actually was a goner for Henrietta this whole freaking time and that it took the events with Hartley for him to actually notice it.

But then we get to the sidecharacters and mainly John (the MMC from the first book) and Mary (Henrietta’s mother). They behaved very strangely to me and it felt like these characters were total opposites from who they were in the previous book. John’s first reaction about the engagement was.., well it was something. Then his fight with Trem felt really out of character too. Especially if you compare it to his initial reaction to the engagement. Then we have Mary who didn’t want anything to do with Henrietta or the rest of the family and she just wanted to be left alone to enjoy her quiet life and her husband and two other children. She completely embraced Henrietta and then didn’t want to attend her wedding because of (valid!) reasons. Only to then suddenly attend the wedding and making merry with all the other guests (who she wanted avoid!).

Then we go to the scene with Mrs. Seymour’s salon. This is another classic tale of: show, don’t tell is the best way. There were so many descriptions of people and why they were there, only for them to never be mentioned again and it did nothing for the actual plot. It felt like it was put into the story to emphasize that there were people of colour present in this book. The show, don’t tell, was amazingly executed with Trem. It’s not often mentioned that he is a rake, but the way in which people around him act and how they interact makes it clear that he was a Rake.

I feel like this (just like the first book actually) story would’ve greatly benefited from another round of editing. There were just too many inconsistencies with the side characters that really pulled me out of this amazing love story with characters that had sparks flying off the page and had me fanning myself. If I could give it 2 different ratings at the same time I would, but sadly I can’t.

This one was a bit of a stunner for me. I really liked Lloyd's debut novel and I thought her four "Rank Rakes" were primed to have amazing stories. This one disappointed me a bit, mainly because I thought there could have been a lot more to it.

Quick summary (Maury edition):
John's (Duke, first book) little sister, Henrietta has been in love with Trem (Viscount, John's best friend and one of the four Rank Rakes) since she was a little girl. Trem lives a privileged, happy go lucky- albeit melancholy- life, until he overhears that his best friend's little sister has been debauched. This instantly opens his eyes to the fact that he actually loves her. Henrietta is impulsive and doesn't think through her actions. John is happy then upset then happy again.

I am all for a sexy time, however, this story felt like "how many sex scenes can I cram (pun intended) into one story". There were too many tropes to list out on top of the numerous sexy scenes, which were fun but doesn't really move a story forward. As it stands, there was very little tension in the book. The two big obstacles resolved themselves fairly quickly and most of the stories were wrapped up in the epilogue.

What I loved about it:
*Anytime you got at least 2 Rakes together, the story shined.
* It was a super easy read
*Trem and Henrietta together are adorable, and we got A LOT of that.

I am really hoping that we get more depth in Monty and Leith's stories AND more of the boys together! I am will be first in like to read Monty's!

Thank you #NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hugh “Trem” Aldershot, Lord Tremberly is livid when he overhears the very drunk Earl of Hartley spewing lies about his best friend’s little sister, Lady Henrietta Breminster, and promptly carts the man to the Duke of Edington’s house to clear things up and set the foxed Earl straight! But things do not go as planned when Henrietta intercepts them in the foyer and confirms that the Earl’s ramblings are true, but is clear - she won’t marry him. Trem is shocked and if truth be told a little (OK, a lot) intrigued and realizes that he is seeing Henrietta in a new light – no longer as just John’s little sister, but a fully grown, beautiful woman. But he knows that she is completely off limits and though he might be a rake, there are lines that he won’t cross – until he does! He accepts Henrietta’s choice and vows to help her be rid of the pesky Earl, but close proximity to her proves to be his undoing and the two embark on a steamy affair. But it isn't long before he realizes she is the woman for him and proposes, she says yes, but almost immediately disappears, leaving Trem no choice but to follow her.

Lady Henrietta Breminster, sister to John Breminster, the Duke of Edington, can’t believe that Hartley is trying to ruin her reputation and belatedly realizes that Justin, Lord Hartley was perhaps not the best choice to teach her about passion. She thought since they were friends, they could share a night of passion without having to worry about being forced to marry. Clearly, she was wrong since he has proposed, been rejected, and is still hellbent on marrying her. Thankfully, Trem has promised to help her and when they ended up engaged, she is thrilled as she has been in love with him for as long as she could remember. But she knows that if she wants a true love match, she will have to share her deepest, darkest secrets with him. But before she confesses all, she wants to know more about her birth mother and takes off without telling him. Which will just be one more bad decision she makes before they finally get their HEA.

Just like the last book, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I liked Trem quite a bit, but Henrietta was TSTL, seriously, she was selfish, self-centered, impulsive, and lacked common sense. The book does have a deeper emotional undertone, as well as some humorous banter, angry brothers, rakes, a suitor that won’t take no for an answer, secrets, steamy love scenes, emotional growth, great secondary characters and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I will not deny that Ms. Lloyd has talent and I am sure with time she will refine her writing style to eliminate the excessive dialogue and smooth out the flow of the story to keep it on a steady pace. Hopefully, she will also take some time to learn about the etiquette and protocols of the era she is writing in, as well as, correct titles and formal address. I am not a historical purist by any stretch of the imagination, and I enjoy relatable characters – but relatable through emotion and experience, not because they are 21st-century characters in period dress, because if I wanted 21st-century ideals and morals, I would read contemporary romance. Overall, this was a good story that filled in some of the blanks missing from the first book, while still being its own story and not a retelling of the previous book. This is the second book in the series, and while there is a connection to the first book, this book could easily be read as a standalone title.

3, maybe 3.5 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.*