To Tempt A Rake

Circle of Sin #3

by Cara Elliott

Kate Woodbridge has spent most of her life sailing to exotic ports around the globe, acquiring an expertise in botany, along with a few less ladylike skills. So when a deathbed promise to her parents brings her to London to seek reconciliation with her grandfather, the imperious Duke of Cluyne, she feels like a fish out of water. Her outspoken views and fiery temper tend to set off sparks in Society-especially with the rakish Conte of Como.

A devil-may-care rogue, Marco finds the alluring and mysterious Kate a tempting target for his flirtations. But when murder strikes at the duke's country house party he begins to suspect that she's hiding a dark secret. He has his own clandestine reasons for offering to help her prove her innocence . . . And so begins a journey of dangerous deception that leads from England to the glittering ballrooms of Vienna, where Marco and Kate must duel with a deadly villain . . . and their own explosive attraction.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency, Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 13, 2011

About the author

Cara Elliott started creating books at the age of five, or so her mother tells her. And Mom has the proof preserved in a family scrapbook—a neatly penciled story, the pages lavishly illustrated with full color crayon drawings of horses. Cara has since moved on from Westerns to writing about Regency England, a time and place that has captured her imagination ever since she opened the covers of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”

A graduate of Yale University, Cara has garnered numerous accolades for her writing, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery /Suspense and two RITAs nominations for Regency Romance.

Cara loves to travel to interesting destinations around the world—however, her favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets, used book stores and specialty museums offer a wealth of inspiration for her stories.

Reviews

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars)
I was very excited to read this book after reading the first reviews on Amazon.com, but while it was good and worth reading, the love story was not as great as I was expecting/hoping. Furthermore, Cara Elliott's subplots continue to feel rushed IMO and seem to go on mostly outside of the reader's view.

Series
This is the last book in the Circle of Sin Trilogy.
Book 1 - To Sin With A Scoundrel , Ciara's story (4 stars)
Book 2 - To Surrender To A Rogue , Alessandra's story
Book 3 - To Tempt a Rake, Kate's story

Main Characters
Kate got quite tiresome constantly harping - both in her mind and out loud - about how different she was, her unusual past, the darkness that she had within her, blah di blah di blah. I did feel that she was too stubborn and quick to judge, though in a way it was a nice change to have real flaws in a heroine.

I wish that we had seen more of her vulnerability and/or that she had shown more of that to Marco. There kept being these moments when he would start to be sweet and tender and Kate would be vulnerable, and then she withdraws, which grew quite frustrating (for me at least).

Marco was fun, and had more depth than a lot of the rake heroes we see. I felt that his love of debauchery was authentic, but so was his despair regarding his life and its direction, which oftentimes writers are not able to portray authentically - here, Elliott definitely succeeded.

There are allusions from the beginning about this darkness in both Marco and Kate's lives and this hidden past or secret that haunts them. Personally, I like to know those types of things more towards the beginning of the book than the end. When it's about the main characters, I feel like we understand them more if we're aware upfront, as opposed to this morsel and hint dropping, which maybe I'm just too impatient for.

Romance
I felt that more could have been done with their relationship - much more. Kate and Marco spent most of the book at odds with one another, which starts to overlap with quick and heated love scenes (though they're still at odds), and only in the final scene is everything HEA (in the extreme) ... and I'm not one for corniness, so I found it all somewhat nauseating.

They had a lot in common and I really feel that their relationship could have been one of the strongest ones we've seen recently, but it fell rather flat for me. Besides for the fact that Marco antagonizes Kate and that they're both private and stubborn people, I'm not really sure what the obstacle for their relationship is, yet to have them both just give in at the end without any discussion or resolution felt odd. Ex: he's supposedly a womanizer, she is concerned he'll never be faithful ... and then they're both happy and committed.

Along with the subplot, all of these things made the relationship feel too rushed and not fully developed.

Bottom Line
I know I just listed several criticisms, but it was worth reading and for some reason I'm going to hang on to the book for now and not post it on PBS.

Next Elliott Book
There's a preview at the end of the book of Elliott's next regency romance, Too Wicked to Wed, which comes out in November 2011 (seems so far off!). Not sure yet how I feel about the heroine, Alexa, but I am definitely intrigued by the "hero," who seems to be of the Derek Craven variety ;-) (from Kleypas' Dreaming of You ).

[Angelc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first two books in this series, but this installment fell a little short for me. I felt like the mystery and intrigue outweighed the romance and character development too much for my liking. I wanted to see more interaction between the two leads. As it was, I didn't feel like their relationship was developed enough to be anything more than lust.

I thought Kate's character was intriguing but I didn't care for Marco. Everyone loves a rake, but Marco was almost sleazy and I didn't buy his reformation. Kate was more complex than Marco and I understood why she tried to remain so tough on the outside. She wanted to be able to let down her guard and let someone help her with her burdens but she just wasn't able to let go.

The author wove a very complex mystery with lots of players, but much more time was spent unraveling the clues than getting to know the characters and why the leads loved each other.

Another aspect of the first two books that I missed was the comedy. I think for someone who enjoys a mystery to be a large part of their historical romance, this book might be a good fit.

I'm still looking forward to more from this author, even though this one fell a little short of her other books for me.


ARC sent by publisher in exchange for honest review

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

[Christie · Rating 2 out of 5]

To Tempt A Rake is the 3rd book in the Circle of Sin series. I had no issues reading it even though I haven’t read the previous two books. The book primarily focuses on Marco and Kate. Marco plays the role of a man who enjoys to partake in a life of drinking and womanizing. While these are most definitely hobbies of his, he also has another very important responsibility.

Kate is the daughter of an American man, some would consider a pirate, and an English mother. She made a promise when they were dying that she would attempt to form a relationship with her judgmental English grandfather. This has brought her to England, and placed her directly in the sights of Marco. He finds Kate fascinating and familiar, but he can’t figure out why. He pursues her, and she refuses to fall for a man like him. When they find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery they have no choice but to become allies. The close contact just might spur something more.

I have mixed feelings about To Tempt A Rake. I absolutely adored Kate, but Marco was setting off my sleazeball radar in a major way. While I usually have no problem forgiving the male characters in books for past discretions, Marco’s behavior was unprecedented. I had difficulty finding any redeeming characteristics in him. When he finally revealed the haunted past that lead him to lead the life of a rouge, I found it very anticlimactic. Yes, it was sad, but didn’t seem to be enough to take away his ability to love and be loved like he claimed. Kate’s past seemed much more sordid, and she wasn’t nearly as emotionally damaged. My lack of love for one of the main characters, paired with a very slow start to the first half of the book made it hard for me to want to continue reading. I also felt it was bogged down with too many characters. I had trouble keeping track of who was who, and felt the need to take notes to keep the large cast straight.

The plot did pick up after a murder that made me think of the board game Clue. Not a bad thing at all, as I love me some Clue. The second half of the book focuses more on Marco and Kate, and their quest to bring down the bad guys. This gave Marco a chance to redeem himself a bit, and I found the ick factor he provoked diminished slightly. Kate was really the driving force that kept me reading. She is everything I love in a heroine, but I’m just not 100% sure how I feel about her being paired with a scoundrel like Marco.

I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this series, and went into this book with high hopes. I’ll still consider giving earlier books in this series a try.

[Orozcosl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

This is a great series, and the characters are interesting as are the settings. The descriptions are very well written, making it easy to visualize all of the scenes.

[muriel somervell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

Loved the characters! Such strong women! Would love more from Kate and Marco ! I can see them having lots of wonderful adventures! Read all 3 books!

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance we have a rake, gambler and a man full of debauchery but who is Conte of Como aka Marco Antonio della Ghirardelli!
Consummate lover and undercover agent and definitely not a match for Kate aka Katherine Woodbridge granddaughter of a Duke! Kate has secrets and lots of regrets but before her parents passed she promised to find her grandfather the Duke of Cluyne!
Now she is stuck with the rigid rules of propriety and one maddening Italian! There chemistry is off the charts both have secrets and lots of regrets!
When a murder occurs at her grandfather’s country estate with her dagger in the victim several secrets come to light!
Marco can’t stay away from Kate and remembers a past they share she would rather forget!
Marco agrees to be her alibi and so much more and more clues come to light that the murderer has fled to Venice!
Can they catch a murderer and resolve their differences? Can Marco be faithful? Can there be a HEA?
There is nonstop adventure as these two stay one step ahead of a murderous madman and international intrigue! Bravo

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoy Regencies and I really like series sets this one did not work for me. I am not a fan of sex on the page with someone other than the main characters and this starts out fairly quickly with the MMC whoring around. There was also a strong need for another edit before publishing. The story itself was strong enough that I did finish, and the FMC's knowledge of botany was fascinating. Fleshing out the character of the Duke was well done and he became quite likable by the end of the book. There were a few plot twists that didn't quite work for me but again, my issues not everyone's.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/1/2023)! 🎁

[Karen Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

great story

Great mystery and romance but waaaay too many missing words, extremely poor editing. Story would easily be a 5 were it edited properly.

[Jaime Howey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn’t grab my attention. Probably more about me than the book. The physical acts were aggressive and the main characters were not likable. Enjoyed the minor characters but conflict was too contrived to draw my attention.

[Letschat1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars 3/4 (Kate Pearce, Maureen Driscoll, Elisa Braden)

Hey fellow readers I don’t summarize the books (as there are always great full summaries written that I read myself).

I only give it my personal, general, summary of 5 stars to 1 star.

3 stars: This book is worth a read but didn’t really have me excited about interacting with the book where I could not put it down. It lacks the excitement and well roundness of my personal markers for a great read throughout the book.

Development and interest in main characters, secondary characters, humorous, movement of the book, writing/conversation and romantic/sexual content (1-2 scenes or too much unnecessary).

Read it once and that is enough for me.

However, if this book is part of a series, I would read the next book (pervious book) in the series as it would still peek my reading interest.

I’ll continue reading from this author. I wouldn’t cross the author out of my potential reads in the future.

[Mary Gramlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

TO TEMPT A RAKE by Cara Elliott
Circle of Sin Series, Book #3
02/11 – Grand Central Publishing in Mass Market Paperback, 384 Pages

Surrender to this book and you will lose your heart to the romance of the story

Katharine Kylie Woodbridge has led so many lives and the one she leads now is a mixed blessing as she struggles to find her place in society and the universe in general. She has a brilliant scientific mind with a love of botany so her scientific friends in the Circle of Scientific Sibyls known as the Circle of Sin know she is book smart and still loving and caring. But since her parents death and the place she resides with her very rigid grandfather is less than ideal. She must stay to try and restore the relationship but he is very judgmental and refuses to acknowledge that she has a heart and a brain.

When Kate collides with Giovanni Marco Musto della Ghiradelli an enchanting but dangerous rake Kate knows better than to mix passion with reason but does she listen to herself, of course not. Marco is hypnotizing and has the smooth Italian accent to sway every reasonable thought out of her head and warm her heart. Kate is a woman of science but even she knows at some point there has to be an anchor in live that will provide some stability and even out the rough waters you go through and Kate wonders secretly is Marco that person for her. Her past may have collided with Marco’s before but now she is not wandering the world with wanderlust parents she is trying to be a respectable London socialite, sort of, maybe, but not so much.

But before too much thought can go into the relationship a murder happens during a quiet country house party and all fingers are pointing right at Kate as the murderer. Is Kate capable of such violence, could she have stabbed a man in the heart, does her past lend to violent tendencies? So many believe she is the culprit but the two men she needs to stand up for her do and with Marco and her grandfather refusing to let the accusations fly she might get out without losing her head, her heart is another matter altogether. Marco has more than a few secrets and surprises of his own and a resolution to solve the matter quickly which shocks everyone especially Kate. In the end Kate and Marco show that together they are a team no evil doer can break up or tear apart.

Bravo to Ms. Elliott for writing a series where you cannot literally decide which one you like the best. I read each one swearing “she can’t top this” and yet she has and did. Kate and Marco are the adventuresome of the trilogy and they are so endearing because both are not damaged but guilt ridden by past mis-deeds. They are both independent and venerable at the same time which is always something I can relate to. What I do love about Kate is that she can take care of herself but does not mind that sometimes it is nice to have someone else row the boat and make the decisions while always landing on her feet.

[Ing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cara Elliott is a new to me author. I have not read the previous two books in this series so I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed the book more or not if I had read the previous two books first. With that said I thought this book read well as a stand alone. I was never lost and could easily keep up with the story. It was the main couple that caused me to not enjoy the book. Kate and Marco as a couple was boring to me. I could never really get into their storyline or into them as individuals.

Kate is a scientist and has been brought up in a life away from the London ton. Her mother ran off and married a man not acceptable to her family and was cut off. Kate is back in her grandfathers life and the ton to fulfill her parents wish to make amends with her grandfather. She has traveled all over with her parents and has been taught to think. You would think with all that I would have found her character more interesting but I was never able to enjoy Kate. My main reason for not enjoying her character was the fact that it was repeatedly brought up over and over again throughout the book how she didn't fit into society and how much she didn't enjoy it. I get it but man it seems like every other page kept pointing to this fact. Also she makes comments about her grandfather being awful but I never really got that. I never saw his interactions with Kate as being awful. It felt more like the grandfather just didn't know how to act around the heroine. As for Marco he's a rake. He has a reason for his rakish behavior which I found a little weak as a reasoning for him to act so blase about life. He was a bit more interesting then Kate but not by much. I thought the story had too much happening in it and could never see why these two even liked each other. There wasn't much time spent on the development of their relationship. All I ever got was they were in lust with each other and nothing more.

The secondary love story between the grandfather and a fellow scientist friend of Kate kept this book entertaining for me. The little interaction between these two fulfilled the romance I was looking for. The murder mystery plot of this book kept me reading until the end. I am sad that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked. I have heard nothing but great things about it. I didn't work for me but if you like historical romances with murder mystery, smart heroines, and secret spy hero then you'll enjoy this book. These are all elements that would normally guarantee enjoyment for me but somehow in this case fell flat.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Woodbridge had a very unusual childhood for a granddaughter of a duke. She traveled the world with her parents acquiring expertise in botany and has no real claim for all the traditional English customs. But a promise to her dying parents forces her to return to London and try to build a relationship with the stogy old duke. Thankfully she meets up with the other intellectual ladies in the 'Circle of Sin' and has somewhere where she feels like she belongs but she still does not tell the ladies all her shameful secrets of her past.

When she meets the cousin of one of her friends, Marco, the Conte of Como, she is quite flustered as they have met in the past and she just hopes Marco does not remember her. Too bad he eventually places her unique scent and remembers where and why they have meet before. By this time they are both at her grandfathers country home for a party, Kate is there at her grandfathers request, and Marco is there on some secret business for the government and everything goes into a tailspin when there is a murder and the blame is pointed at Kate.

This is the third book I have read from Cara Elliott and I have enjoyed every single one. It has a wonderful mix of heated romance, mystery and touching relationships between family members. There is a small side romance between a couple of the older characters that I very much enjoyed and thought it added a nice warmth to the storyline, along with a few chuckles, watching those two hard headed people butt heads. You can feel the attraction between Kate and Marco right away, and even though they previously met in the second book (To Surrender To A Rogue) you don't need to read them in order, though you do get more of a sense of their early relationship. When Kate and Marco must embark on an adventure together that neither one expected, Marco finally comes to terms with why his is such a rogue (this part I thought could have been expanded upon a bit more to give him a bit more history) and Kate finally finds the love she has been missing since her parents death from more than one place. This is an excellent trilogy and I look forward to future books from Ms Elliott. 4 stars!

I won this book on goodreads.com through their first reads program, thanks!

[Book Review Diva · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To Tempt A Rake” By Cara Elliott

Kate Woodbridge is an independent outspoken women who has sailed around the world, and is well known as Naples most wanted pick-pocketer. Kate has no plans of ever settling down and also does not fit in with her grandfather’s upper society lifestyle. While attending one of her friends parties, Kate notices a familiar face across the room. That familiar face is the notorious rake Lord Marco Ghiradelli. Kate hopes that Marco does not recognize her, because if he does, he will know that Kate picked pocketed him in Naples while he was drunk. Kate is also going to need to keep her sexual appetite under control if she is to have any success of keeping herself off Lord Ghiradelli’s radar.

Lord Marco Ghiradelli can have any women he so desires, and women he desires now includes the beautiful Kate Woodbridge. Marco has been sent to gain important information at Kate Woodbridge’s Grandfather’s parties and bring that information back to his partner. Too bad Marco won’t be able to focus on what he suppose to be doing, since he will be focusing more on the beautiful Kate.

Lord Marco Ghiradelli and Kate Woodbridge are two unlikely people who want to be one another, but when a murder happens at Kate’s grandfather’s house party, Kate is framed as the murder. Marco will put what he came to the party for aside and immediately do what it takes to protect Kate, even if means opening his heart up to her and putting his own life in danger.

Passion, Deceit, and Romance grace the pages of “To Tempt a Rake” by Cara Elliott. I loved this book and how the romance and the murder mystery combined so well together in this novel. Great book and I look forward to reading more of Cara’s books in the near future.

4 Hearts Out Of 5

Reviewed by HistoricalRomanceBooks.ca


Visit my Website at http://www.historicalromancebooks.ca

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

TO TEMPT A RAKE by Cara Elliott is a delightful historical romance set in Regency London. It is the third in the "Circle of Sin", series but can be read as a stand alone. Book One "To Sin With A Scoundrel" and Book Two "To Surrender To A Rogue".It is well written with depth,details,fast paced,twists and turns. The "Circle of Sin" is a group of scholarly ladies, who would rather engage in scientific experiments than have afternoon tea with the ton. That is until love enters the equation. This story has love,romance, sweet sensuality, passion, treachery, spy,murder, transcontinental adventure, guilt,secrets, coming to terms with the past and moving to the future.Kate and Marco have a past secret, if Marco remembers will Kate's future be destroyed? Kate, an outspoken,beautiful, rebellious part American, with a fiery temper, and a past that would make you quiver in your boots.Goes from a rebellious American to a resourceful lady who know her worth,strengths and her weakness. Marco,is handsome, womanizer, a spy, alluring and mysterious with dark secrets and guilt from his past. He will go from a reckless rogue to a caring, loving husband who finally can leave his guilt behind and move forward.Sparks fly from the moment they meet until the story ends. Together, Kate and Marco, embark on an adventure of marriage,trying to save their country,save each other and return home unharmed and fully intact of their senses.I would recommend this book especially if you enjoy fast paced,adventure, mystery and sweet sensuality with a happy ending you will enjoy this one too. This book was received for review from the publisher and details can be found at Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing and My Book Addiction and More.

[Dueep J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally do not give a new author, I am reading A bad review, because I know all about the amount of trouble taken in writing a book. This star is for the botanical knowledge in this book. The rest of the book goes beyond awful. The chemistry between the two Main leads to just about that between cheese and Chalk.. Besides, the author is absolutely crazy about the word Bum. She uses it Once every two pages. If the heroine is not falling on her Bum, she is rubbing it or she is watching the hero's posterior. When one reaches the stage when "he threw her and her bum "bounced on the mattress" you begin winding up the book for the throw to the wall.
So a bit about the story – you have already got an inkling about the style of writing in the paragraph above – the hero has a propensity of frequenting the whore houses and Low dives of Europe. That is where he is good to find the heroine Who turns out to be the granddaughter of a Duke, no less. Her mama ran away with an American sea captain. That is to say that American Sea captains frequented the aristocratic circles of Mayfair, or the daughters of Dukes Went slumming in lowdown dives, to find American sea captains with which to elope.
So anyway, the granddaughter comes back to her grandfather, and keeps protesting that she is not a lady."I am an American. My father was a pirate." The hero recognizes her perfume As one smelt in the whore houses Of Naples. So naturally, he forces her to bed him, saying "You stole my purse. You owe me."After she beds him and says that she has paid all her dues, He says, "The purse was a fine example of Florentine leather work. So you still owe me."
If you are still reading after this, you have plenty of time to waste, have not you!

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars
To Tempt a Rake was another new author and series for me. Although this is the third book in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed both main characters. They are both strong personalities with purpose in their lives, although society may not recognize their choices.

Marco Ghiradelli, Conte of Como, is a man with many secrets. and a life that he must constantly hide from society. He is a government agent sent to house party to “spy” on the attendees and gain insight into an upcoming event.

Kate Woodbridge is the granddaughter of the Duke who is hosting the house party. She has also led a secretive and adventurous past that goes against society’s norms. She previously robbed the Conte of Como in a brothel in Naples. So there is some history between the two of them.

Kate and Marco have sparks flying between them the moment they are reunited. At the house party, a murder draws them together and they must solve the mystery in order to avoid Kate being framed.

I really enjoyed the mystery and romance of this book. Altogether a good solid read. Recommended for historical romance buffs that like strong, independent females and rakish males, along with banter that is quick and cutting.

[Lisarenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Woolbridge is not your average English Lady. In fact she's really not a Lady or English. While her mother was the daughter of a Duke, her father was a American sea captain whom her mother married and ran off with. Most would refer to her father as a pirate. Kate has lead an unusual life and traveled to many different ports. Now that her parents are deceased she's decided to try to mend bridges with the only family member she still has, her grandfather, The Duke of Cluyne.

Marco, the Conte of Como, is a Italian rake. He doesn't do relationships, but something about Kate draws him to her. Her scent stirs a distant memory and if he ever unravels what that memory is Kate's dirty little secret may come out and she'll be ruined.

A book with murder, espionage, humor, and a touch of naughtiness makes for an enjoyable read.

Oh, almost forgot to mention, I got this book free from a Goodreads first reads giveaway.

[BecksBookPicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a cute book. It caught my attention and kept me interested until the end. This is one of those book where you meet the characters and you really get to know them. You feel the spark between the two and you can feel that they are really drawn to one another. It is almost right past the halfway point that the mystery begins. This is when it starts to get really interesting. You are no longer reading about these two characters and there attraction to one another that they must fight off, but there is a murder and Kate is a suspect. She had to prove her innocence and her and Marco join together to prove this and who the killer really was. So you might be asking, why did I only give this book 3 stars. It was predictable. The story line wasn't quite fresh in my opinon and while I did it enjoy it as I stated from the time I begun it to the ending, I had this book figured out. However, I still think this book is a great read.

[Danes · Rating 1 out of 5]

The character development is not sufficient. In my opinion, Kate is not convincing with the direction she pretends her life should go. Marco is not intriguing. The cliche's are endless. What about the cultural differences? Is love so simple that any one man of such soothing charisma will continually put up with Kate's personality? And what about her past. It just seems fabricated to back into this plot which is for her two most conflicting loved ones to fight for her honor....boring. This book is more about sexually driven situations rather than actual gripping drama. Life is much more complicated. This stuff is cookie-cutter material. Potential plots give way to classic cliche's. Do yourself a favor and just re-read a classic, like Little Women. Now that's time well spent no matter how many times you read it.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Tempt A Rake is the third book in the circle of sin series. I always like to read series in order but I haven't read the first two books yet. I thought after reading To Tempt A Rake that it could be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed this historical romance from the beginning to the end.

This book had the right amount of mystery, romance and even murder. The characters in this book came to life for me and I was suddenly lost up in the novel.


* I have been provided a complimentary Advanced Readers copy of To Tempt A Rake for review threw an offer from the Reading Romance Group (Book Blogs). By receiving a complimentary copy and giveaway opportunity it in no way obligates me to write a good or bad review. I am an honest reviewer and my reviews are based on my own opinion and written only by me.*

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new Cara Elliott book that is very readable, an interesting story about an independent woman who has returned to England because of a death-bed promise to her mother, that she will seek to reconcile with her grandfather, a wealthy and powerful English duke. She is an expert botanist, and in addition she manages to thumb her nose at Polite Society numerous times. Now she is caught up in a murder mystery that appears to be pointing the finger of guilt directly at her. Fun romance for several characters, sexual attraction that seems to remain unresolved for quite a portion of the novel, murder and mayhem, and difficult family relationship issues. One of those books one can hardly bear to put down. My housework got put on hold for this one!

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Woodbridge needs to hide her past. her father was a pirate with whom she sailed around the world living an... unconventional life. But when her parents died, she fulfilled a deathbed promise to her parents to reunite with her grandfather, the stuffy man who threw her mother out. Now she's trying to be the paragon of virtue that London Society believes her to be but it's hard when her past keeps rearing its ugly head. one part of that past includes Marco Ghiradelli, Conte of Como. He's the cousin of one of Kate's Circle of Sin, women who get together to discuss science. He seems to be a wastrel scoundrel but in reality, he is in the perfect position to help this woman who is not cut from the normal cloth.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wondered what was going to be done with this story. The dissolute rake, the pirate of a duke's grand-daughter. Each with a history and the threat of having crossed paths in their past.

Instead you have a house party of diplomats prior to the Vienna peace conference and it was really well done. The setting (and our remaining elder scientist - Charlotte) gave Kate and her grandfather the chance to actually talk rather than just assume misunderstanding. It also gave opportunity for murder.

The intrigue was well constructed. It gave both hero and heroine a chance to display their skills and be appreciated for them. I think the action somewhat overshadowed the building of the relationship but you still got to the HEA.

This was an enjoyable story.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Aubrey at RexRobotReviews.com

I was so excited to get my first book to review, To Tempt a Rake by Cara Elliott, and it did not disappoint! After a little bit of a slow start Kate's story turned into an all night read of flirtation and suspense.

Kate Woodbridge is an easy to relate to, wonderful character who's introduction to polite society is filled with mishap. The Conte of Como, Marco, is not your typical rouge. This exquisite tale brings Kate and Marco together to tempt fate with their lives. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves a good Historical Romance!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Good reads giveaway.

Cara Elliott’s Circle of Sin trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion with the story of Kate and Marco in the book entitled To Tempt a Rake. Kate and Marco share a past that revealed as their relationship progresses in this book set in the Regency time period. In my opinion, it is the best of the three books. It is a romantic suspense that clearly stands on its own even though it is part of a trilogy. There is just enough reference to earlier characters to enhance a connection of storyline for readers of the previous two books to remember fondly the earlier romantic adventures. Eagerly awaiting the new trilogy that comes out in November.

[Marlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another flawed bitchy heroine and rakehell with redeeming qualities. Lady Kate was mostly not likeable and there was never an intense romance going on. Marco the Heroine was not very interesting. I wished more time was spent on developing the romance between Charlotte and the Duke of Cluyne. I was glad when this over. The series was not concluded to my satisfaction with Alessandra and Ciara's matches--Was a baby on the way? Nothing was answered. The Circle of Sin was 3 stories almost exactly the same general plot. I expected more.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. I liked that the female lead character was intelligent and adventurous. It made the book more interesting. Unfortunately the action didn't start until I was done with over half the book. And I like the action in books to be a little more throughout the book. In this case I literally mean action and not "smutty action"...though that's always good too! ;)

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Tempt A Rake is the perfect romance for Valentine's Day. I fell in love with the chemistry between the main characters and I'm patiently awaiting more from Cara. She creates the most interesting characters and intriguing plots.