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The Notorious Briarwoods #4
The Rake's Absolutely Devilish Reform
Lord Hector Briarwood is the ton’s favorite rake. And he absolutely loves it. One day, he will marry, but he’s certain that won’t be for years! After all, there’s too much fun to be had. Yet, when he runs into Lady Priscilla at a ball as he is climbing out of a window into the gardens, he immediately knows she’s the one for him! There’s just one problem. She wants nothing to do with a rake. All his years of having a bit too much fun are about to come back to haunt him, unless he can prove to her that a reformed rake really does make the best husband.
Lady Priscilla has no wish to reform anyone. She’s quite happy as she is. Frankly, she thinks it is a load of nonsense that a rake can change so entirely once he’s wed. Even so, she absolutely adores Lord Hector. He makes her laugh and sends her heart aflutter. Now, if she can figure out how to keep him as her friend, she shall be satisfied, or so she tries to tell herself. But when his stolen kisses fan the flames of her heart, she cannot deny how much she wants him. Dare she chance marriage with a rake? Or will she marry for duty, as her family desires?
Lady Priscilla has no wish to reform anyone. She’s quite happy as she is. Frankly, she thinks it is a load of nonsense that a rake can change so entirely once he’s wed. Even so, she absolutely adores Lord Hector. He makes her laugh and sends her heart aflutter. Now, if she can figure out how to keep him as her friend, she shall be satisfied, or so she tries to tell herself. But when his stolen kisses fan the flames of her heart, she cannot deny how much she wants him. Dare she chance marriage with a rake? Or will she marry for duty, as her family desires?
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2024
326 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 21, 2025
This is my 72nd book by Eva Devon. I read one of her books in 2016 then didn't pick her up again until 2018 and I have been reading her ever since. She is one I consider a favorite author. I do have to say though, that this series has not been a favorite.
I have to confess I liked this book best out of the whole series. I enjoyed reading about Hector and Priscilla and how they evolved. It was a very sweet story and a cute couple. There is always an asshole lord in the picture somewhere and this was no different but you know how that goes in stories. :) Overall good read.
I have to confess I liked this book best out of the whole series. I enjoyed reading about Hector and Priscilla and how they evolved. It was a very sweet story and a cute couple. There is always an asshole lord in the picture somewhere and this was no different but you know how that goes in stories. :) Overall good read.
October 15, 2024
My rating for The Rake's Absolutely Devilish Reform, by Eva Devon: 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
This was the 4nd book in the Notorious Briarwoods series. These books can be read standalone, but I believe they would be more enjoyable if read in order -- as they are each about the romance of one of the Briarwood siblings.
I liked that the Briarwood family was so different than most noble families of the time. They didn't care what others thought of them, and didn't bother to try and meet society's ridiculous expectations. I also really liked that the family stuck together, cared deeply about each other, and did their best to help each other achieve happiness.
I liked Priscilla, but thought she should have stood up to her father more. I get that she wanted to make him happy, since he obviously loved her -- but it was wrong of him to expect her to marry for duty, especially when it could very well make her unhappy.
Hector was likable, and I loved that he would do anything for the people he loved. He realized almost immediately that Priscillla was the woman for him, and went about convincing her (and her father) of that. I liked that he was finally able to show both Priscilla and her father that he was the right man for her.
I liked that Hector's mother tried to help Priscilla and her family, and helped her parents understand that Hector marrying Priscilla would be a good thing -- and that it didn't matter what society thought.
This book did have sex scenes, but they were fairly tame. Sometimes it is nice to read more romantic, less explicit sex scenes.
I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
This was the 4nd book in the Notorious Briarwoods series. These books can be read standalone, but I believe they would be more enjoyable if read in order -- as they are each about the romance of one of the Briarwood siblings.
I liked that the Briarwood family was so different than most noble families of the time. They didn't care what others thought of them, and didn't bother to try and meet society's ridiculous expectations. I also really liked that the family stuck together, cared deeply about each other, and did their best to help each other achieve happiness.
I liked Priscilla, but thought she should have stood up to her father more. I get that she wanted to make him happy, since he obviously loved her -- but it was wrong of him to expect her to marry for duty, especially when it could very well make her unhappy.
Hector was likable, and I loved that he would do anything for the people he loved. He realized almost immediately that Priscillla was the woman for him, and went about convincing her (and her father) of that. I liked that he was finally able to show both Priscilla and her father that he was the right man for her.
I liked that Hector's mother tried to help Priscilla and her family, and helped her parents understand that Hector marrying Priscilla would be a good thing -- and that it didn't matter what society thought.
This book did have sex scenes, but they were fairly tame. Sometimes it is nice to read more romantic, less explicit sex scenes.
I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
August 27, 2024
Delightful, Lighthearted yet Exciting
I really liked this, book 4 of the "Notorious Briarwoods" series. Lord Hector, the devilishly handsome rake with a social and moral compass, meets Lady Priscilla, whose humble origins lead her to seek a high-titled, highly respectable husband to secure her now-wealthy family's position in the ton. Hector Briarwood doesn't fit the profile. He doesn't need her dowry, and his Briarwood family is the redheaded stepchild of Polite Society. Of course, the rake falls madly in love with the status-seeking Priscilla, who denies her growing feelings for the social rebel out of loyalty to her father's dream of a perfect match for her.
And we're off to the races--let the games of love begin.
Very nice, if idyllic, story with a fairybook ending worthy of an early Disney princess and her charming prince. Sure, it's too perfect. Why else would we read Regency romances if not to dream a little about a perfect world?
Highly recommended.
I really liked this, book 4 of the "Notorious Briarwoods" series. Lord Hector, the devilishly handsome rake with a social and moral compass, meets Lady Priscilla, whose humble origins lead her to seek a high-titled, highly respectable husband to secure her now-wealthy family's position in the ton. Hector Briarwood doesn't fit the profile. He doesn't need her dowry, and his Briarwood family is the redheaded stepchild of Polite Society. Of course, the rake falls madly in love with the status-seeking Priscilla, who denies her growing feelings for the social rebel out of loyalty to her father's dream of a perfect match for her.
And we're off to the races--let the games of love begin.
Very nice, if idyllic, story with a fairybook ending worthy of an early Disney princess and her charming prince. Sure, it's too perfect. Why else would we read Regency romances if not to dream a little about a perfect world?
Highly recommended.
August 27, 2024
I love the Briarwoods…..
Another good addition to the series. The characters were well written, funny, and incredibly lovable. I will admit that I didn’t like Priscilla very much for most of the book. I found her extremely judgmental and unforgiving with her views of Hector. She was supposed to be driven by duty, but she still seemed cruel. Thank goodness her character did self reflecting and realized her errors before too late. Hector might be one of my favorite Briarwoods fo all. He was so well rounded. I love how the Briarwoods sons are so physically tough but also so in touch with their feelings. The characters in these books all seem to have a lot of depth that adds to the story. I loved the resolution of this story and how it all came together in the end with a HEA for all.
Another good addition to the series. The characters were well written, funny, and incredibly lovable. I will admit that I didn’t like Priscilla very much for most of the book. I found her extremely judgmental and unforgiving with her views of Hector. She was supposed to be driven by duty, but she still seemed cruel. Thank goodness her character did self reflecting and realized her errors before too late. Hector might be one of my favorite Briarwoods fo all. He was so well rounded. I love how the Briarwoods sons are so physically tough but also so in touch with their feelings. The characters in these books all seem to have a lot of depth that adds to the story. I loved the resolution of this story and how it all came together in the end with a HEA for all.
August 31, 2024
Lady Priscilla was born into a mill workers family, she knows cold and hunger, and now as she's mixing in the ton she can only think how pointless they all are.When she meets Lord Hector Briarwood, all she knows is his reputation as a playboy, a rake a charmer, albeit a very enticing one.
Her father rose in the mill to a point of buying it and others, like many nouveau riche he wants a title for his grandchildren, and has led Priscilla to believe the same, so she determined to follow her father's wishes. Hector, like all his family falls for his love at first sight and is dismayed that she not only rejects him, but prefers another, who he knows to be dishonourable.
I am loving this series, it keeps improving. By my reckoning there are three Briarwood brothers and one sister left, plus three cousins, so the series should run for a while yet.
Her father rose in the mill to a point of buying it and others, like many nouveau riche he wants a title for his grandchildren, and has led Priscilla to believe the same, so she determined to follow her father's wishes. Hector, like all his family falls for his love at first sight and is dismayed that she not only rejects him, but prefers another, who he knows to be dishonourable.
I am loving this series, it keeps improving. By my reckoning there are three Briarwood brothers and one sister left, plus three cousins, so the series should run for a while yet.
November 22, 2025
Okay, but a little thin on character development. Pricilla wants nothing more than to please her father, who dragged his family up from poverty to tremendous wealth, getting elevated to a title in the process. But the ton barely accepts them, so Pricilla is expected to make a match with an old, established society family. Hector Briarwood is a notorious rake and second son . Their family is known for being free spirited and borderline scandalous, so when Hector becomes enamored of Pricilla, she must discourage his suit, even though she finds him charming. There was a lot of telling here, some of it repetitive and almost boilerplate feeling, about the nature of the Briarwood family and the characters, which makes the insta-love between Pricilla and Hector feeling a bit perfunctory as a result.
August 17, 2024
This book is such a fun, entertaining read!
As Lady Priscilla is spending some time in the garden at a ball, Lord Hector Briarwood climbs out of a window.
He is a rake, and she wants nothing to do with him even though he is a relative of one of her friends.
Her father worked hard all his life to provide for his family and has become quite wealthy. Lady Priscilla wants to marry for duty to honor her father.
The chemistry is wonderful, and Hector is very caring, persistent and sometimes funny in his quest to capture Priscilla's heart.
There are a lot of very interesting secondary characters that add charm to the story.
This is a light feel good story, with a touch of violence that will have you craving more.
I can't wait for the next book in The Notorious Briarwood's series!
As Lady Priscilla is spending some time in the garden at a ball, Lord Hector Briarwood climbs out of a window.
He is a rake, and she wants nothing to do with him even though he is a relative of one of her friends.
Her father worked hard all his life to provide for his family and has become quite wealthy. Lady Priscilla wants to marry for duty to honor her father.
The chemistry is wonderful, and Hector is very caring, persistent and sometimes funny in his quest to capture Priscilla's heart.
There are a lot of very interesting secondary characters that add charm to the story.
This is a light feel good story, with a touch of violence that will have you craving more.
I can't wait for the next book in The Notorious Briarwood's series!
August 29, 2024
4.5 stars The heroine is judgmental at first and so is her father! We have Lord Hector Briarwood and Lady Priscilla Plumhurst also Mercy’s friend! Her father clawed his way out of abject poverty and brought his family with him! He however believed rank determined character! The longer the lineage the more distinguished! Not is this not true it could have been fatal for Hector! The road to a HEA is never smooth for a Briarwood but Hector is judged for the tabloids and not the content of his character! When a suitor decides he will do whatever is needed to get rid of Hector as competition for Lady Priscilla! Well almost all the family joins forces! Briarwood’s don’t fight fair bit definitely to win! Bravo! What a ride!
August 23, 2025
So Sweet!
While I can't officially call it "sweet and clean," as Ms. Devon always adds a scene or two of spice, (but if you only read sweet and clean you really might consider reading this and just skipping over those two (spoiler: stop reading the closet scene when the quotation marks end and the Heron House walk-into-the-bedroom scene that does not end with conversation...) and enjoy this and the rest of the series as I am! The happily ever afters are fun: fairy tales without the fairies, yes, but always with the characters growing as people because of, well, many factors, but in part because of the environment in which they become enveloped. It's quite lovely. Ah, onto the next!
While I can't officially call it "sweet and clean," as Ms. Devon always adds a scene or two of spice, (but if you only read sweet and clean you really might consider reading this and just skipping over those two (spoiler: stop reading the closet scene when the quotation marks end and the Heron House walk-into-the-bedroom scene that does not end with conversation...) and enjoy this and the rest of the series as I am! The happily ever afters are fun: fairy tales without the fairies, yes, but always with the characters growing as people because of, well, many factors, but in part because of the environment in which they become enveloped. It's quite lovely. Ah, onto the next!
October 2, 2024
Love this series
The series seems to get better with each book, though I am sure it is because we continue to learn more about the family and we grow to love them. The story of Priscilla and Hector is wonderful. She is considered new to the ton with parents who came into wealth. Hector was a rake of the first order and had not paid much attention to Priscilla who was a friend of his sister in laws. One fate full evening, while climbing out of a window he came across Priscilla and immediately fell for her. You will love their story. Enjoy!
The series seems to get better with each book, though I am sure it is because we continue to learn more about the family and we grow to love them. The story of Priscilla and Hector is wonderful. She is considered new to the ton with parents who came into wealth. Hector was a rake of the first order and had not paid much attention to Priscilla who was a friend of his sister in laws. One fate full evening, while climbing out of a window he came across Priscilla and immediately fell for her. You will love their story. Enjoy!
January 1, 2025
A great read
I enjoyed reading about Hector and Priscilla, how they met to how they fell in love. Her family was new to the ton and she wanted to make her father proud but she had the fear of letting him down. Hector was a rake but once he laid eyes on Priscilla he had no eyes for anyone else, he fell in love with her when he spotted her enjoying looking at the stars in the sky. I highly recommend this book! ❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍
I enjoyed reading about Hector and Priscilla, how they met to how they fell in love. Her family was new to the ton and she wanted to make her father proud but she had the fear of letting him down. Hector was a rake but once he laid eyes on Priscilla he had no eyes for anyone else, he fell in love with her when he spotted her enjoying looking at the stars in the sky. I highly recommend this book! ❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍
August 23, 2024
I love the Briarwood family! This book is another gorgeous read in this series, it's beautifully written with wonderful characters. What's better than a rake climbing out of a window and falling head over heels for the heroine? Said heroine not returning that love even though her heart desperately wants to, and so starts the romance between Hector and Priscilla. Finding out more about them and their families is a joy to read. A little action and stolen kisses along the way, falling in love and keeping that love is the best journey of all.
October 5, 2024
Excellent.
Another excellent novel in this lovely series.
This book is well written, fits in well with the previous novels in the series and it is at a length I prefer, it moves along nicely….I enjoyed it greatly.
Another excellent novel in this lovely series.
This book is well written, fits in well with the previous novels in the series and it is at a length I prefer, it moves along nicely….I enjoyed it greatly.
January 12, 2025
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for a shorter romance?!? Craziness!
I LOVE HECTOR 💕 my book boyfriend 😍
There were so many things I loved about this.. I was kicking my feet, happy tears, even sad /emotional tear .. just hit me at the right time I think
I LOVE HECTOR 💕 my book boyfriend 😍
There were so many things I loved about this.. I was kicking my feet, happy tears, even sad /emotional tear .. just hit me at the right time I think
March 22, 2025
Hunger to plenty
Her father work hard to change their life but lost his way looking at the wrong things. Hal finds love suddenly but must work to convince her family about what is best for all of them.
Her father work hard to change their life but lost his way looking at the wrong things. Hal finds love suddenly but must work to convince her family about what is best for all of them.
April 24, 2025
Most Enjoyable!
The story is rather unique. Although the pacing is good, it becomes a little heavy toward the end. The characters are most interesting, especially the Dowager Sylvia.
The story is rather unique. Although the pacing is good, it becomes a little heavy toward the end. The characters are most interesting, especially the Dowager Sylvia.
May 29, 2025
The Rake’s Absolutely Devilish Reform
Great backdrop scenery and characters with just the right amount of description and not drawn out and the perfect amount of drama. The author to me has a great talent for storytelling and bringing it to life.❣️💃🏻😻
Great backdrop scenery and characters with just the right amount of description and not drawn out and the perfect amount of drama. The author to me has a great talent for storytelling and bringing it to life.❣️💃🏻😻
August 24, 2024
Oh my gosh this book is awesome loved it from beginning to end read it in one day
September 4, 2024
An enjoyable read. A lovely ending with twin babies. A very good storyline. 4☆
September 14, 2024
Brava!!
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters and the dialogue are great. So many quotable phrases about families and their love for each other. Much to think about!
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters and the dialogue are great. So many quotable phrases about families and their love for each other. Much to think about!
September 30, 2024
Pretty good book.
November 2, 2024
Light hearted novel/la and one in a series which makes an easy read
November 8, 2024
Awesome
This book was a great read. The laughter and characters made it so. I can't wait to see what book 5 holds. 💥😍📚💥😍📚
This book was a great read. The laughter and characters made it so. I can't wait to see what book 5 holds. 💥😍📚💥😍📚
December 14, 2024
Absolutely enjoyed it
March 20, 2025
Lovely story!
Great story about not judging based on gossip and rumor, but also being aware of one’s reputation and how a bad reputation can cause lost opportunities.
Great story about not judging based on gossip and rumor, but also being aware of one’s reputation and how a bad reputation can cause lost opportunities.
March 27, 2025
good read
Being a rake was what he was known for, but only because he never felt the need to share who he really was until he fell out of a window and saw her looking at the stars
Being a rake was what he was known for, but only because he never felt the need to share who he really was until he fell out of a window and saw her looking at the stars
April 27, 2025
Very good
Priscilla and Hector want to be together but her father says no. It's a journey. Well written great characters the Briarwoods always win
Priscilla and Hector want to be together but her father says no. It's a journey. Well written great characters the Briarwoods always win
May 11, 2025
This was headed to be a four star book, but it fell apart at the end
Read
September 30, 2025There’s happiness and joy and then there’s this truly unhinged cult of a family.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews