bigleoenergy 's review for:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

3.5

---

A straightforward and fun historical romance. I probably would have gone from simply liking to loving this one if I had not previously read one of Sarah MacLean's more recent series (Hell's Belles). Callie lacks the brashness and independence that made me fall in love with Sesily, Adelaide, and Imogen, though I do think she shows hints of it, and Juliana clearly has it in spades. I think I was unprepared for how much more self-loathing Callie has.

Ultimately what didn't work for me here were things that I don't consider failings on the book's part, but rather personal preferences against:

• Callie's confidence is all externally rooted. She understandably has very low self-esteem and abysmal self-talk, and by the end she is better able to stand in her own power, but it never seems to come from an internal shift to believe that she is worthy; she believes she is because Ralston is there to reinforce it. I think this is likely the most realistic scenario given the amount of time that passes in the book, but it's tough to see someone you're rooting for not recognize their value on their own.
• The foundation of the attraction between Callie and Ralston was weak for me. Yes, she's been pining for him for 10 years, but why? Because he showed her some attention in a garden once upon a time? 
  • Furthermore, while I greatly enjoyed what a himbo Ralston becomes for Callie, he seems drawn to her primarily because he finds her original and novel, which isn't inherently a bad thing to be attracted to, but I would've loved if the epilogue had something like
    them making up more lists, and generally continuing their shenanigans as a married couple
    . That would've leant some credence to the idea their attraction has longevity. The couple who have more public sex scenes than private bedroom ones should be continuing to play at the edge of scandal!

What I did especially love is something I think Sarah MacLean excels at: the way she writes women and their relationships with one another. While the women regularly had conflict with one another, they were never pitted against each other. Nastasia as

the scorned mistress isn't evil or conniving, she's hurt and offers "been there, done that" style advice

. Juliana, whose world has been upended, is trying to suddenly fit into a family and society totally foreign to her, lashes out and is met with kindness and empathy. The Hartwell sister dynamic is treated with nuance, where it easily could have slipped into jealousy, loathing, or disdain. Mariana pities her sister, but those feelings are obviously borne out of love and worry, as she expresses how much she wants Callie to have the kind of love she has found. Even the mothers, who are barely in the story and very much NOT the picturesque examples of maternal caring and support, are treated as their own dynamic people. 

Definitely a decent debut novel that I think the shine only wears off of in comparison to newer works, which is maybe ironic when you consider Callie being put on the shelf and Mariana getting engaged after her first season. But it has instilled in me full confidence that I will find something positive in any Sarah MacLean novel I read, new or old.