To Win a Viscount’s Heart by Anna St. Claire
The Rakes of Mayhem #5

Sweet second chance romance that allows Gerald and Selena to mature and come into their own before meeting that second time.

What I liked:
* Viscount Gerald Lawrence: sowed his wild oats, caught in flagrant delicto, banished, worked hard, made big strides, matured, found success, meets Selena and is charmed
* Lady Selena Bowles: loving daughter, lost her father, worries about her mother, fears for her life, strong, resilient, affinity with animals, sweet, giving, forgiving, charming, trust Gerald…and more
* Angus Connery: estate manager, tutored Gerald as he rebuilt Bellwood, Scottish, a good man
* Fleure Bowles: Selena’s loving mother, widow, protective, still young, attracted to Angus
* Dutch: a dog with heart, protective, fun addition to the story
* Azure and the other horses that will provide much to the couple in the future
* Anna: maid, under the protection of Angus, seamstress, may end up with Selena’s relative
* Being able to see the blackguard of the story twirling a mustache as Dick Dastardly once did – though this baddie was a bit more deadly and despicable
* Finding out what Grom’s backstory was after disliking him originally
* The thread with Paul and Kat and the happy landing they found
* That it was a standalone story
* The various threads coming together neatly at the end

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how difficult it was for so many in this era – wealth didn’t save women and being poor and a woman an even greater hardship

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Maybe, I liked her short story in a collection better than this sweeter one

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

This is a sweet romance between Gerald, Lord Lawrence and Lady Selena Bowles. Being betrothed since they were children, they actually fall in love when circumstances force Selena to flee from her house and find safety at Gerald's estate. The plot of the book moved at a sound pace, with quite a few twists and turns. The romance and dialogues on the other hand seemed stultifying to me. I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

A sweet romance between two people betrothed for years because their families were friends.
Gerald is older and a little wilder, actually being caught in a terrible situation on Selena’s special come out day.
Consequences ensue and five years later both of them are different.
Selena and her mother struggle to survive and Gerald must come to the rescue while falling in love.
Some twists and turns that add to the action and suspense.
Enjoyed reading their story.

A clean , sweet story of a man forced into a betrothal by his parents to a little frightened bird of a daughter of his parents best friend. What Gerald doesn’t realize is that little frightened bird has turned into a beautiful swan. Though the author tended to repeat herself quite a bit, and though it was a bit distracting at times ( as I kept thinking maybe she forgot she wrote that already), the story line was good and original. There are a few twists and turns to keep one guessing and the characters were, for the most part well developed. I especially loved Connery and Dutch! Not sure where Paul and Kat fit in either, almost an afterthought, but all in all a good story.

Received this tale for free and these are my own opinions.

Viscount Gerald Lawrence never imagined having a bet with his friends would result in banishment to his family’s crumbling estate in Derbyshire. Now, four years later, Gerald is a man transformed, his estate is there’s a thriving and a successful horse-racing venture. But on a stormy night, the past returns with a vengeance when a half-frozen, injured Selena appears on his doorstep. On the run after her mother is poisoned by a ruthless relative, Selena has no one else to turn to but the very man she never thought she’d face again. Traumatized and suffering from memory loss after a fall, she has no recollection of Gerald’s past betrayal.
The fifth book in the series & it could easily be read on its own. A delightful mix of mystery & romance. I loved both Gerald & Selena, he paid a heavy price for a bet that went wrong but his banishment but instead of wallowing he made the estate profitable & a jewel in the Earldom, he did have help from his estate manager Connery. Selena was a revelation & a delightful mix of innocence & strength. I loved how the pair were attracted to each other from their meeting after the storm but their feelings deepened as they spent time together as she recovered. There are twists, turns & surprises & also a secondary romance. The villain is horrid. A very well written, fast paced book, which I read straight through
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Selena escapes in the night to get away from a relative who has poisoned her mother. He is also threatening to take her to Greta Green to marry her for her inheritance. She ends up at the home of her old fiance Gerald. Feeling guilty he brought scandal on them when he broke their childhood engagement, Gerald feels he must protect her. When she stays with him, sparks fly and he wonders how he never saw how wonderful she really is. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.