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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
He’s a spy summoned to a house party in Scotland supposedly to recover stolen government documents from the host. She’s the secretary of a noblewoman and helping to write said employer’s memoirs. I liked how earnest the MMC was despite being a spy, and I liked how the FMC’s politics (namely fighting for the rights of women) isn’t made into a caricature. Spice was above average too.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Classism
*Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review*
The Rebel and the Rake was such a fun book! I haven’t read a lot of historical romances where the hero is a spy! Sign me up for all of the historical spy romances, please. Rafe and Sylvia have a spark from their very first encounter. However, an attraction to each other is the last thing they need. Rafe is on a mission to find out who is stealing sensitive information at a house party. Sylvia is creating a new future for herself and moving on from her past. Needless to say, these two can’t stay away from each other. Soon, they realize they also share a deep, emotional connection in addition to attraction.
If you’re looking for a fun, sweet romance, then this book is for you! Sylvia is a firecracker full of passion and opinions. Meanwhile, Rafe is a secret sweetheart who desperately wants to be seen for who he truly is. Together, they are one of the sweetest and cutest couples ever. Their characters are developed really well. They both undergo a lot of change in this book. They realize they have to accept who they are and move on from their pasts. Fans of historical romance won’t want to miss this book! I can’t wait to read more from this author!
The Rebel and the Rake was such a fun book! I haven’t read a lot of historical romances where the hero is a spy! Sign me up for all of the historical spy romances, please. Rafe and Sylvia have a spark from their very first encounter. However, an attraction to each other is the last thing they need. Rafe is on a mission to find out who is stealing sensitive information at a house party. Sylvia is creating a new future for herself and moving on from her past. Needless to say, these two can’t stay away from each other. Soon, they realize they also share a deep, emotional connection in addition to attraction.
If you’re looking for a fun, sweet romance, then this book is for you! Sylvia is a firecracker full of passion and opinions. Meanwhile, Rafe is a secret sweetheart who desperately wants to be seen for who he truly is. Together, they are one of the sweetest and cutest couples ever. Their characters are developed really well. They both undergo a lot of change in this book. They realize they have to accept who they are and move on from their pasts. Fans of historical romance won’t want to miss this book! I can’t wait to read more from this author!
I work for the publisher of this book; all opinions presented are my own.
Rafe is a spy for the British government but sneakily this becomes a "maybe imperialism is bad and our government is corrupt" narrative. So. You get the beeeeest of both worlds 🎵
Rafe and Sylvia are very cute and also SPIES!! Mystery and intrigue!! I love a historical romance when there's something going on to get to the bottom of I really do
CW: sexual content, misogyny, death of parent, emotional abuse, violence
Rafe is a spy for the British government but sneakily this becomes a "maybe imperialism is bad and our government is corrupt" narrative. So. You get the beeeeest of both worlds 🎵
Rafe and Sylvia are very cute and also SPIES!! Mystery and intrigue!! I love a historical romance when there's something going on to get to the bottom of I really do
CW: sexual content, misogyny, death of parent, emotional abuse, violence
Now this is what I call great chemistry! Miss Sparrow is a woman's companion and a closet rebel whilst Davies is a rake and a spy. Upon meeting, the chemistry between them is palpable but they back burner it til about halfway through the book. Seriously a great read! Wonderful romance with a hint of mystery as well. I'll definitely be reading more from this author!
adventurous
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
New to me author. Mostly enjoyed the book but the pacing seemed off (especially towards the end). I had thought that the book was wrapping up but there turned out to be 15% of the book left.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The Rebel and the Rake is the second book in the League of Scoundrels series, and it follows Sylvia Sparrow, a lady’s companion hiding a rebellious past, and Rafe Davies, a government spy. When both attend a house party, they find themselves inextricably drawn to each other, but they both have secrets. Rafe Davies is a spy tasked with finding out who is sending threatening messages to and stealing from the host, and Sylvia is being blackmailed and must steal documents from the host or risk having her scandalous, rebellious past exposed.
A huge advocate for social reform, Sylvie fights for what she believes in. She is a strong, intelligent, and forward-thinking woman, and I love that she is unbending in her convictions. She has been burned by love in the past, but she hasn’t let that defeat her. A political activist, Sylvie has very strong ideals, and her perspective opens Rafe’s eyes a bit. I love Rafe! He is charming and charismatic, and he has a great character arc. Rafe has become disenchanted with his career and questions his role as a spy dedicated to the government. He begins to wonder if he’s missed out on life, and he seems to want more for his future.
Rafe and Sylvie both live double lives, though for very different reasons. Sylvie is the only one to see past Rafe’s disguise, and Rafe knows there is more to Sylvie than meets the eye. Both are such interesting, layered characters with compelling pasts. I like how you slowly learn more about them and how their pasts helped to define their current situations. Most of all, I love their romance! They have such great chemistry, and there is this tension between them that is fantastic.
I also really liked the strong female bonds in the story. Sylvia and Georgiana are wonderful friends and fiercely supportive of each other. It seems like both have difficult pasts, yet they have always remained loyal to and protective of each other. I’m eager to learn more about Georgiana in the next book in the series. She’s such a compelling character, and I have a feeling her story will be fantastic!
There’s also an abundance of intrigue and mystery, especially regarding who is blackmailing Sylvie and who is threatening the host. Sylvie and Rafe find themselves entrenched in dangerous and potentially deadly situations, and since both are also keeping secrets, the tension is high. It was interesting to see how Sylvie’s blackmailing and the other situations at the house party connected, and I enjoyed the building suspense throughout the story.
I enjoyed this addition to the League of Scoundrels series. It has great characters, a lot of intrigue, interesting history, and a sexy romance. Plus, it can easily be read as a standalone. That being said, the first book, A Rogue to Remember, is fantastic, and I highly recommend it! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Forever, and Emily Sullivan for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
A huge advocate for social reform, Sylvie fights for what she believes in. She is a strong, intelligent, and forward-thinking woman, and I love that she is unbending in her convictions. She has been burned by love in the past, but she hasn’t let that defeat her. A political activist, Sylvie has very strong ideals, and her perspective opens Rafe’s eyes a bit. I love Rafe! He is charming and charismatic, and he has a great character arc. Rafe has become disenchanted with his career and questions his role as a spy dedicated to the government. He begins to wonder if he’s missed out on life, and he seems to want more for his future.
Rafe and Sylvie both live double lives, though for very different reasons. Sylvie is the only one to see past Rafe’s disguise, and Rafe knows there is more to Sylvie than meets the eye. Both are such interesting, layered characters with compelling pasts. I like how you slowly learn more about them and how their pasts helped to define their current situations. Most of all, I love their romance! They have such great chemistry, and there is this tension between them that is fantastic.
I also really liked the strong female bonds in the story. Sylvia and Georgiana are wonderful friends and fiercely supportive of each other. It seems like both have difficult pasts, yet they have always remained loyal to and protective of each other. I’m eager to learn more about Georgiana in the next book in the series. She’s such a compelling character, and I have a feeling her story will be fantastic!
There’s also an abundance of intrigue and mystery, especially regarding who is blackmailing Sylvie and who is threatening the host. Sylvie and Rafe find themselves entrenched in dangerous and potentially deadly situations, and since both are also keeping secrets, the tension is high. It was interesting to see how Sylvie’s blackmailing and the other situations at the house party connected, and I enjoyed the building suspense throughout the story.
I enjoyed this addition to the League of Scoundrels series. It has great characters, a lot of intrigue, interesting history, and a sexy romance. Plus, it can easily be read as a standalone. That being said, the first book, A Rogue to Remember, is fantastic, and I highly recommend it! Thanks so much to NetGalley, Forever, and Emily Sullivan for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
I'm not much of a historical romance reader, but in the sea of illustrated covers in the past couple of years this cover stood out. I loved it, read a great review by a few trusted bloggers, and decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. I found the writing to be excellent. It felt light and whatever the opposite of stuffy is. I was intrigued by the characters and the plot. I loved how I felt Sylvia and Rafe's attraction and connection. His pursuit of Sylvia was very swoon worthy. This was a really fun historical romance read. I would read another of Sullivan's books in a heartbeat.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced