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A review by cassandra67b07
The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham
5.0
Wow. This book was a revelation and all it took was a gender swap around the character of the Rake. I mention the "character" of the rake, because, of course, the seducer of women and the man who refuses to let anyone fill the emotional holes in his soul until he meets the heroine, has been around in literature and theater for a long time. He usually meets a tragic end until modern historical romance resurrected him as something of the standard male lead/hero.
I had not read Peckham before, but I appreciated her introduction where she dedicates the book to Mary Wollstonecraft and explains why she chose to flip the script in historical romance. This allows the reader to come into the story with an understanding of why the progress of the typical romantic storyline is going to look quite a bit different.
And boy does it. Sera is a mess. Her hurts and past come spilling out as she attempts to write a memoir that will earn her enough coin to help other 'fallen' women like herself. She's an alcoholic who is drinking her pain. She's blunt about sex and often rude and dismissive to Adam who finds her fascinating and desirable anyway. I loved Peckham for letting Sera be a mess and having her actions reap realistic consequences. Sera and Adam's relationship is very rocky but also very passionate and the way that they both navigate their challenges (including a very frank and accurate discussion of birth control/pregnancy/childbirth) was realistic and emotionally wrenching.
The society of 'fallen' women was also a highlight of the book. To see these women grapple with the legal restrictions they lived under, the lack of money of their own, the biology they couldn't escape, and still have them support and love one another was one of the things that made this book very special.
Two other noteworthy items about The Rakess. The Cornwall locations are not often seen in historical romance although I remember Cornwall being a favorite for gothics at one point. The Cornish scenery, food, and customs added a lot to the story. And the second thing is THAT cover. Beautiful and I hope someone has a framed copy of the painting.
Thank you to edelwiess for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars.
I had not read Peckham before, but I appreciated her introduction where she dedicates the book to Mary Wollstonecraft and explains why she chose to flip the script in historical romance. This allows the reader to come into the story with an understanding of why the progress of the typical romantic storyline is going to look quite a bit different.
And boy does it. Sera is a mess. Her hurts and past come spilling out as she attempts to write a memoir that will earn her enough coin to help other 'fallen' women like herself. She's an alcoholic who is drinking her pain. She's blunt about sex and often rude and dismissive to Adam who finds her fascinating and desirable anyway. I loved Peckham for letting Sera be a mess and having her actions reap realistic consequences. Sera and Adam's relationship is very rocky but also very passionate and the way that they both navigate their challenges (including a very frank and accurate discussion of birth control/pregnancy/childbirth) was realistic and emotionally wrenching.
The society of 'fallen' women was also a highlight of the book. To see these women grapple with the legal restrictions they lived under, the lack of money of their own, the biology they couldn't escape, and still have them support and love one another was one of the things that made this book very special.
Two other noteworthy items about The Rakess. The Cornwall locations are not often seen in historical romance although I remember Cornwall being a favorite for gothics at one point. The Cornish scenery, food, and customs added a lot to the story. And the second thing is THAT cover. Beautiful and I hope someone has a framed copy of the painting.
Thank you to edelwiess for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars.