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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
With so many books on my TBR, I always carefully "research" the ones I end up reading. I don't pick up books willy nilly, it's a combination of several factors I carefully review (cover, blurb, trope, recommendations from friends, fave author...).
I'm sad to say this one didn't live up to my expectations of a great read. I found myself bored throughout the whole thing, despite some elements I usually favor in my romance.
I was neither moved by the romance or piqued by the intrigue.
It wasn't bad, just not a satisfying read.
I'm sad to say this one didn't live up to my expectations of a great read. I found myself bored throughout the whole thing, despite some elements I usually favor in my romance.
I was neither moved by the romance or piqued by the intrigue.
It wasn't bad, just not a satisfying read.
The Rebel and the Rake was an enjoyable historical romance with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. I haven't had a chance to read the first book in the series, but I didn't feel lost and think this book works well as a standalone.
Rafe and Sylvia were an interesting pairing and I loved that both were much more than what they presented to the world. Sylvia was especially intriguing and I admired her strength and conviction. Things were a little too instalove for me, but their scenes together were definitely spicy. I do wish that Rafe would have reacted a bit differently once everything came out into the open (especially after the personal sacrifices of Sylvia and Georgiana) and given a bit more grovel, but the epilogue was very sweet and I enjoyed seeing that vulnerable side of him. It was Henry and Georgiana that grabbed my attention though and I am very interested to read their (possibly second chance romance) next.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 3 stars
Story 4 stars
I both listened and read The Rebel and the Rake. Victoria Aston is a new to me narrator and she gave an entertaining performance, but it wasn't my favorite. I found it hard to determine who was speaking at times, even between Rafe and Sylvia, because there wasn't much variety in the voices used. Many characters sounded very similar, while others felt very over the top and almost comical.
*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*
Rafe and Sylvia were an interesting pairing and I loved that both were much more than what they presented to the world. Sylvia was especially intriguing and I admired her strength and conviction. Things were a little too instalove for me, but their scenes together were definitely spicy. I do wish that Rafe would have reacted a bit differently once everything came out into the open (especially after the personal sacrifices of Sylvia and Georgiana) and given a bit more grovel, but the epilogue was very sweet and I enjoyed seeing that vulnerable side of him. It was Henry and Georgiana that grabbed my attention though and I am very interested to read their (possibly second chance romance) next.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 3 stars
Story 4 stars
I both listened and read The Rebel and the Rake. Victoria Aston is a new to me narrator and she gave an entertaining performance, but it wasn't my favorite. I found it hard to determine who was speaking at times, even between Rafe and Sylvia, because there wasn't much variety in the voices used. Many characters sounded very similar, while others felt very over the top and almost comical.
*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
I haven’t read very many pairings like this: a charmer rake who’s actually working as a spy for the Crown & a rebel *once arrested* for her political convictions who’s now hiding from her notoriety & surviving as a Lady’s Companion.
There’s so much going on in the background of Emily Sullivan’s The Rebel and the Rake & she weaves the various aspects with skill: blackmail, family dramatics, ton maneuverings, etc.
Against this backdrop our rake Rafe Davies falls for the usually unassuming, largely ignored by the aristocracy heroine, Sylvia, a lead who’s compelling for me. University-educated & willing to go to great lengths for her beliefs, *including* having heated conversations with the Hot Hero about them, she’s admirable.
Sullivan writes a well-crafted story—she takes risks & her writing style is easy to tumble for. I think she has a big future in historical romance & I’m really looking forward to seeing what she writes next.
But I didn’t always care for how the hero acts in this one—his feelings for Sylvia feel deep quickly & I didn’t totally buy it. I also didn’t
I haven’t read very many pairings like this: a charmer rake who’s actually working as a spy for the Crown & a rebel *once arrested* for her political convictions who’s now hiding from her notoriety & surviving as a Lady’s Companion.
There’s so much going on in the background of Emily Sullivan’s The Rebel and the Rake & she weaves the various aspects with skill: blackmail, family dramatics, ton maneuverings, etc.
Against this backdrop our rake Rafe Davies falls for the usually unassuming, largely ignored by the aristocracy heroine, Sylvia, a lead who’s compelling for me. University-educated & willing to go to great lengths for her beliefs, *including* having heated conversations with the Hot Hero about them, she’s admirable.
Sullivan writes a well-crafted story—she takes risks & her writing style is easy to tumble for. I think she has a big future in historical romance & I’m really looking forward to seeing what she writes next.
But I didn’t always care for how the hero acts in this one—his feelings for Sylvia feel deep quickly & I didn’t totally buy it. I also didn’t
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Then you have far more faith in the inherent goodness of men than I do.”
This book had a little of everything I was looking for: romance, espionage, blackmail, a feminist main mc who didn’t hold back, and alternate leading man and leading lady POVs…OH and we can’t forget the steam 🥵🥵🥵
While, it was a bit of a slow burn as far as the romance for me, as all historical romances are that don’t include the fake dating trope, and I do wish there was more espionage moments, I found it pretty easy to fly through once I got into it.
There’s great lead up to the romance and character development that made me feel connected to major and minor players.
ASIDE: SPEAKING OF DEVELOPING MINOR PLAYERS, the author did a great job of introducing some back story of Georgina and Henry, who’ll be the stars of her next book, without taking away from the story. I can’t wait to learn more about them.
Anyway, there was also a great commentary on women and what marriage meant to them in the time period: how much they could lose, in some ways how they could gain for their family, but all in all, how it was a precarious position to be in.
This was the perfect quick romance that I needed in the midst of all the thrillers I’ve been reading!
I hope you guys are having a great Tuesday! I’ve dived into Cloud Cuckoo Land, while also reading Anthem and Weather Girl….and then Circe on audio…do I have commitment issues?
With books?
I think so.
This book had a little of everything I was looking for: romance, espionage, blackmail, a feminist main mc who didn’t hold back, and alternate leading man and leading lady POVs…OH and we can’t forget the steam 🥵🥵🥵
While, it was a bit of a slow burn as far as the romance for me, as all historical romances are that don’t include the fake dating trope, and I do wish there was more espionage moments, I found it pretty easy to fly through once I got into it.
There’s great lead up to the romance and character development that made me feel connected to major and minor players.
ASIDE: SPEAKING OF DEVELOPING MINOR PLAYERS, the author did a great job of introducing some back story of Georgina and Henry, who’ll be the stars of her next book, without taking away from the story. I can’t wait to learn more about them.
Anyway, there was also a great commentary on women and what marriage meant to them in the time period: how much they could lose, in some ways how they could gain for their family, but all in all, how it was a precarious position to be in.
This was the perfect quick romance that I needed in the midst of all the thrillers I’ve been reading!
I hope you guys are having a great Tuesday! I’ve dived into Cloud Cuckoo Land, while also reading Anthem and Weather Girl….and then Circe on audio…do I have commitment issues?
With books?
I think so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Honestly... trying to get myself to have some sort of coherence about how much I adored this book. Every single page.
I adored Sylvia - she is all the badass, self-possessed, radical leading lady that I could ever ask for. I adored every moment of her! The research behind this characterization is brilliant too! Not only does Sylvia hold to her values but she isn't static in any way! She grows and learns to see beyond her own family's pressures and wants - which is something I definitely needed to hear right now! - and not to mention the unique HEA. Rafe is not to be overshadowed though! His own journey to self-acceptance and growth is just as awesome. I adored watching him wrestle with his own emotional trauma from his lack of acceptance. Not to mention - they have both fantastic banter and steam with each other. I absolutely cannot wait for book three!
TL/DR Review
Stars: Five Stars (all the stars really!)
Steam: multiple steamy scenes, no overt kink - does have some ropes though! - also the burn is worth it.
Tropes: competence kink, experienced heroine, solve the crime,
For Fans Of: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Theme Song: Common People by Pulp
Subgenre: Historic Romance
CW/ TW: death of parents, threats of violence on page, some bloodshed, references to torture
Thank you to the author and publisher for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I adored Sylvia - she is all the badass, self-possessed, radical leading lady that I could ever ask for. I adored every moment of her! The research behind this characterization is brilliant too! Not only does Sylvia hold to her values but she isn't static in any way! She grows and learns to see beyond her own family's pressures and wants - which is something I definitely needed to hear right now! - and not to mention the unique HEA. Rafe is not to be overshadowed though! His own journey to self-acceptance and growth is just as awesome. I adored watching him wrestle with his own emotional trauma from his lack of acceptance. Not to mention - they have both fantastic banter and steam with each other. I absolutely cannot wait for book three!
TL/DR Review
Stars: Five Stars (all the stars really!)
Steam: multiple steamy scenes, no overt kink - does have some ropes though! - also the burn is worth it.
Tropes: competence kink, experienced heroine, solve the crime,
For Fans Of: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Theme Song: Common People by Pulp
Subgenre: Historic Romance
CW/ TW: death of parents, threats of violence on page, some bloodshed, references to torture
Thank you to the author and publisher for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Rebel and the Rake is the second in the League of Scoundrels series. It can be read as a stand-alone. I did enjoy this one a bit more than the first, so I’m definitely more optimistic going forward about Emily Sullivan as an author.
I liked the characters overall. I particularly liked the exploration of Sylvia’s political leanings. Her role in the anarchist and suffragette movements, especially with Sullivan’s added context as to the overlap between the two, is fascinating. The fact that her activities attracted scandal and worse was also exciting to me.
I waffled a bit on Rafe. He didn’t bug me in the same way the hero of the previous book did, but I still felt a bit rattled all the same. A random gardener is talking to Sylvia, a poor, “defenseless,” woman? Better go charging in without any further evidence! I mean, the gardener ended up being up to no good in the end, but there was very little indication he was a threat. I also found him trying to get Sylvia’s estranged brother to “give her what she was owed” more presumptuous than a romantic gesture. But I did generally like them together, even if I wasn’t super won over by then as a couple. They do make a pretty fun team, both romantically and as crime solvers.
The pacing is a bit on the slow side, especially in terms of developing the mystery element. While the romance is obviously the central part, I did feel like there was a lot of meandering along for a good chunk before things really picked up.
While I enjoyed this one only marginally more than the first, I definitely see the appeal, and I found it to be a fairly pleasant read overall, even if it didn’t exactly hit me in the feels. If you like historical romance with a bit of mystery, you might like this one.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received a copy of The Rebel and the Rake by Emily Sullivan from Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
It's been awhile since I've picked up a historical romance and I was quite excited to receive this one to dive back into the genre. In finding that it's actually the second in the A League of Scoundrels series, I decided to read the first book in the series before diving into this one. I really like seeing the other characters that came before and how the characters and stories are interconnected in romance novel series this way. For The Rebel and the Rake, I was glad that I read it in this way because I was able to read the introduction of the character of Rafe before seeing him with his own story in this book. It was like getting a sneak peek into a character before truly diving into what the character his own. This historical romance was full of political intrigue and mischief while bringing in issues of the times that I feel were not present in historical romances many years ago when I was read more of this genre. Sylvia is a woman who has strong ideas about what women can and should be able to do. However, readers are given hints that these aspirations and goals were derailed by something that caused her to find herself hiding her identity amongst those that she is now employed by. I definitely liked the character of Sylvia and her development in this story.
One of the things I love to try to figure out is who may be the next main characters for the following books and I had my sights set on Sylvia's friend, Georgiana, and I"m definitely very intrigued by her story which will be book three in this historical romance series.
It's been awhile since I've picked up a historical romance and I was quite excited to receive this one to dive back into the genre. In finding that it's actually the second in the A League of Scoundrels series, I decided to read the first book in the series before diving into this one. I really like seeing the other characters that came before and how the characters and stories are interconnected in romance novel series this way. For The Rebel and the Rake, I was glad that I read it in this way because I was able to read the introduction of the character of Rafe before seeing him with his own story in this book. It was like getting a sneak peek into a character before truly diving into what the character his own. This historical romance was full of political intrigue and mischief while bringing in issues of the times that I feel were not present in historical romances many years ago when I was read more of this genre. Sylvia is a woman who has strong ideas about what women can and should be able to do. However, readers are given hints that these aspirations and goals were derailed by something that caused her to find herself hiding her identity amongst those that she is now employed by. I definitely liked the character of Sylvia and her development in this story.
One of the things I love to try to figure out is who may be the next main characters for the following books and I had my sights set on Sylvia's friend, Georgiana, and I"m definitely very intrigued by her story which will be book three in this historical romance series.