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jess_is_always_reading 's review for:

The Rebel and the Rake by Emily Sullivan
4.0

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