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A review by beckyreadsitall
The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy shitballs, I was not ready for this book. Scarlett Peckham is a new-to-me author, and while this was my first book by her, it will not be my last!
Let’s start with the thorough content warnings at the beginning - I so appreciate when authors do this. Peckham says how this novel is romance but a “dark and stormy” one - content warnings for: references to death and abandonment of past romantic partners; trauma surrounding stillbirth and miscarriage; sexual harassment, slut-shaming and misogyny; spousal coercion, kidnapping and control; depictions of alcohol addiction and recovery.
So yes, this romance covers a lot of heavy topics but the idea of taking a typical historical “rake” and making it a woman was SO well done. The writing was 𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹. Reading about miscarriage or losing a baby can sometimes be triggering for me and there were times when I felt like I was having a physical reaction to some of the scenes because it was taking me back to that time.
I really took my time through it (I think it took me almost three weeks to read), and while that’s not necessarily what I would typically want in a romance, the image Peckham painted was so visual and realistic I couldn’t imagine not continuing. For me, it was worth it to keep going.
There were also times I had to physically put the book down and let myself fully absorb what I had just read:
“...people were won over by their hearts, not their faculty of reason. Arguments about injustice did not move them to action. Sad stories did.”
I loved Sera and Adam’s friendship developed, and how Adam didn’t save or “rescue” Sera in the end - they came together as two adults realistically, acknowledging and accepting each other’s flaws.
I LOVED this book, and while heavy, I think (if you can), everyone should read it!
Let’s start with the thorough content warnings at the beginning - I so appreciate when authors do this. Peckham says how this novel is romance but a “dark and stormy” one - content warnings for: references to death and abandonment of past romantic partners; trauma surrounding stillbirth and miscarriage; sexual harassment, slut-shaming and misogyny; spousal coercion, kidnapping and control; depictions of alcohol addiction and recovery.
So yes, this romance covers a lot of heavy topics but the idea of taking a typical historical “rake” and making it a woman was SO well done. The writing was 𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹. Reading about miscarriage or losing a baby can sometimes be triggering for me and there were times when I felt like I was having a physical reaction to some of the scenes because it was taking me back to that time.
I really took my time through it (I think it took me almost three weeks to read), and while that’s not necessarily what I would typically want in a romance, the image Peckham painted was so visual and realistic I couldn’t imagine not continuing. For me, it was worth it to keep going.
There were also times I had to physically put the book down and let myself fully absorb what I had just read:
“...people were won over by their hearts, not their faculty of reason. Arguments about injustice did not move them to action. Sad stories did.”
I loved Sera and Adam’s friendship developed, and how Adam didn’t save or “rescue” Sera in the end - they came together as two adults realistically, acknowledging and accepting each other’s flaws.
I LOVED this book, and while heavy, I think (if you can), everyone should read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage