Once Upon a Rake

by Samantha Holt

In Victorian England, Little Ellie Browning swiftly discovered happily ever afters did not exist and rakes were simply rakes. When the man she had adored for years kissed her and left her heartbroken and she was forced to marry an elderly earl to save her reputation, she resolved to put any dreams of fairy tales aside.

Seven years later, the now widowed Eleanor, Countess of Hawthorne, has returned to England after years of travelling and is now part-owner of a cotton mill left to her by her late husband.

But the owner of the mill, and the very same handsome rake who hurt her years earlier, has no desire to let a woman interfere with his business, let alone little Ellie Browning—no matter how fascinating he finds her since her transformation from coltish scarecrow to almost graceful countess.

Lucian is still recovering from the after-effects of one of his mills succumbing to fire, and now he’s fighting to save the other in a tough economic climate. He doesn’t need this new distraction, especially when, after a series of accidents, it becomes clear someone wishes the mill to close and he has to find the culprit—fast.

With things heating up between Ellie and Lucian, it’s apparent that not only is the mill in peril—they are both at risk of getting burned...

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

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2014

About the author

Samantha Holt resides in Warwickshire, England, with her twin girls, having followed her soldier husband around the UK for nearly 10 years. Growing up in Hampshire, she was inspired by the authors Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, both of whom lived and wrote only miles from her home town.

Samantha loves the romance genre and has been devouring romantic literature for as long as she can remember. History is another passion of hers and she loves to combine her love for history and romance into exciting and passionate tales.

Reviews

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Trouble at t'Mill stars

This relatively short Victorian story was part romance and part mystery, with both plots building slowly and steadily to an exciting climax.

And I mean that in every sense of the word. I love to lose myself in a good bodice ripper from time to time and escape to a time when being caught kissing a man will end in your ruination and hasty marriage to an old Earl at the tender age of 17, just as poor Ellie was in this. I always think trying to contain all of those lusty feelings can make for some delicious tamped down sexual chemistry and this is a great example of that.

Lucien accidentally ruins Ellie when she's just 17. She's immature, ungainly and gauche, and quite oblivious to the fact that he's sneaked away from the ball in the hope of indulging his rakish, oversexed libido with an attractive young widow he's been pursuing. He's irritated with young Ellie for following him and effectively cock blocking him and after his polite attempts at sending her away prove ineffective, he becomes blunter and nastier, telling her he's no more attracted to her than his horse before kissing her, sealing her fate when her dad catches them lip locked in the garden.

Seven years later and Ellie is now a Countess and widow following the death of her wrinkly but kind old husband. On the outside she's worked hard to become a poised and elegant lady, but inside she still feels she's the awkward and clumsy girl she's always been. Convinced she's still unattractive, she feels lonely and isolated from society. Ellie has inherited shares in Lucien' s mill from her late husband, so to Lucien's irritation she decides to take a more active interest in the once profitable business to try to understand why its fortunes are declining.

I cannot lie, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this after Lucien' s behaviour at the beginning of the story. I love a reformed man-whore tale, but his cruelty and nastiness made him a hard character for me to like. At the same time I felt so sorry for poor Ellie who's spent seven years being starved of affection by a kindly man who she believes couldn't rise to the occasion because she wasn't attractive enough.

My favourite thing about this story was watching Ellie grow in confidence and turn into something of a seductress and minx. In a neat twist of fate, Lucien now hates his appearance too following a factory fire, and he doesn't believe anyone would ever find him attractive so he's become reclusive as well, devoting himself to the safe and efficient operation of the mill.

It took me a long, ling time to warm to Lucien; gradually we see him redeem his selfish ways, but even then he was still clinging to the notion that the young woman he'd carelessly ruined is still someone he wouldn't have been interested in before his scars made him lower his expectations. For a long time I wanted better than that for Ellie, I thought she deserved so much more.

But somehow along the way, I was turned and I was rooting for the two of them. Lucien achieved the impossible and actually won me over. Perhaps it was his work ethic, perhaps his grudging care and respect for his workers but definitely the way he set about protecting and seducing Ellie. And yes the smut...there is nothing I love more than a strong and silent, gruff man tearing it up with a woman he's obsessed with. Just sheer reading bliss for me.

If you enjoy a good historical romp with a strong woman and a bad, bad man, you'll love this. Recommended.

**I received an arc from the author in return for my honest opinion. Thanks!**

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this novella because the hero was a pompous, supercilious windbag butthole prig who made me wanna punch him in his solar plexus several times, and the heroine wallows in self pity and both just talk about how ugly she is... wtf???



and he never even redeemed himself!! Like, okay he has ZERO redeeming factors!!

1) He said he would rather bed his horse than the heroine TO HER FREAKING FACE
2) He still refers to her as "little ellie" and is like wow im so attracted to her but
3) TALKS ABOUT HER UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES!!!
4) “Well, you might enjoy having a lover. No doubt being married to that dry old stick did not bring much pleasure.” BITCH WHAT??? WHO RUBS THAT IN A WOMAN'S FACE ABOUT HER DEAD HUSBAND
5.) He was constantly condescending like a true capitalist businessman about his superior business knowledge. boy PLEASE GTFO
6.)WHEN SHE SAID THAT THERES MORE TO LIFE THAN SEX, HIS RESPONSE WAS "YAY! AN INVITATION TO HAVE A FUCK-A-THON!!!"

"Lucian studied her profile. More to life than bedsport? He’d
heard women speak in such a way—some of the beautiful widows he
had seduced had made similar declarations. They had believed as
much until he had coaxed them into his bed. Was Ellie like one of
them? An unsatisfied woman, unaware of the pleasure a man and a
woman could share? "

FUCK YOUUUUUUUUU!! YOU NEVER EVEN LEARNED BITCH ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS HAVING SEX WITH HER AND DIDN'T EVEN FEEL BAD FOR YOUR STUPID INSENSITIVE REMARK. YOU ARE LITERALLY A PIECE OF SHIT WHO DOESNT DESERVE HER AND I DONT SEE HOW THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL EVER FUCKING WORK



ugh i literally just hated Lucian. The heroine wasn't even that bad just kind of boring!

I'm not anti-this author, because I have read another book by her I enjoyed but this was a TERRIBLE experience. I really hated this book

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read..

I’ve read 12 or 15 of Samantha Holt’s book but I think I’m done. You never know if you’re going to get a beautiful heroine or one like this one: Straight eyebrows, thin lips, hair like a pile of straw and described as looking like a scarecrow. And the Lucian is said to be beautiful, or handsome, even with the burn scar on the side of his face. Now, I don’t mind a scarred hero but I absolutely hate for a heroine’s unattractive features being brought up again and again and again throughout the book. If you’re going to make the heroine unattractive then make the hero unattractive, too. Not even in a book am I going to believe a beautiful hero is going to fall for a heroine that looks like a scarecrow. She might not be as skinny as one when she grows up but she’s still unattractive and he’s still beautiful.

This was an OK story but it took waaaay to long to get to something interesting, about 70%. It just kept talking about how ugly and undesirable she was and how Lucian, beautiful as he was, couldn’t figure out why he wanted her. They finally got to the part where Lucian and Ellie figured out someone was trying to sabotage the mill, and off of their personal life for a minute.

One reviewer said the heat rating was “mild” so if you consider explicit oral sex as “mild” then it is. Also, there’s no swearing to speak of.

As to the narration: Ms. Zimmerman did a really good job. She laughed and whispered when it was called for, and when Ellie was hoarse for smoke inhalation Ms. Zimmerman made her sound that way. AND the men sounded like men. YAY!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. With a likable H/h.

I really liked the plot. It consists three of my favorite tropes (in no particular order):
1) h loved the H when she was a girl
2) H was a feckless rake in his youth
3) Ugly duckling to Swan

Young widow and former ugly duckling and her formerly handsome (perceived by him) childhood crush fall in love.

I have been buying acquiring novellas from AMZN when they are free or $.99 for some time but had not read any of them until now. Although this was short, it felt very complete.

This is my first read of one of the author's books. I will try to get more of her books.

I highly recco this title to HR readers.

[Gilgamesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book a try because I recently enjoyed two novellas from Holt. Holt has great plot ideas she needs to work on correctly developing the plot into something memorable. Instead of using repetitive inner dialogues to move along the story if she used those pages with character development and infusing depth into their relationship the book would be unforgettable. This premise was so intriguing and the first few chapters astonishingly well written but then inevitably the repetition of character musings invade her writing and drag on and on until the story becomes iredeemable. Sad really.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful and unique...

Fast paced tale of a perceived clumsy, ugly duckling and a scarred rake, their passion and HEA. Ms. Holt has written a well told, unique tale with danger, and love. She has blended romance with mystery, danger, suspense and industry. A cotton mill to be precise. The characters are engaging and their troubles are realistic. Very well written. A wonderful addition to your library!

*Personal Buy*

Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is steamy, romantic and entertaining. Lucian was an ill mannered, cocky, cold and irresponsible rake until the day he was scarred by fire. After that he became obsessed with building up his other factory, and he became generous and caring. He also withdrew from society thinking himself a hideous monster. Ellie was a girl that he knew his whole life and thought of as an irritating pest, until the day he told her she was ugly and awkward, then kissed her. They were caught by her father, who refused to allow a marriage between them. Instead he married her to an old man. When her husband dies seven years later she inherits shares of Lucian's factory, and decides that she wants to be involved with the running of it. When Lucian ignoring her doesn't make her go away, he tries to run her off with cruel words. When that doesn't work he tries to seduce her, and gets caught up in her. But getting rid of her is no easy feat, because she is no longer the awkward, ugly girl that she used to be. Ellie is determined and sweet and insecure. And beautiful. But he can't figure out how. The two butt heads over everything, even what they want of each other. It's a fascinating story that I couldn't put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

[Lori D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being considered unattractive and told that can wear you down and dreaming of a happy ever after is just that. A dream. When younger Ellie Browning was found with rake Lucien in a compromsing position. She was promptly married off to an older man to save her reputation. Now a widow seven years later, she returns to England and is determined to help run the mill her husband had invested in, but Lucien is the main owner. With the business losing money, he has is working hard to bring it back to a profitable enterprise.
Ellie is now a confident, accomplished woman and wants to help find bring the mill back. But now Lucien is lacking in some confidence himself and as these two reunite, there begins a dance of between the two of push and pull and it seems a passion might ignite. But has Lucien really changed from his rakish was and feel bad about how he treated her all those years ago?
A story of redemption and finding the true person inside instead of just outward appearances.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh?

There's a skinny lady who thinks she's ugly because her hair is the colour of straw and she's not voluminous enough.
There's a (former) rake who has some scar tissue on his face and on one arm. He also thinks he's not handsome anymore and thus he's keeping to himself and managing that cotton mill of his.
They have known each other for AGES, he kisses her at one point and makes her marry an older man who dies after 7 years... and that' where the story starts. And all of it is... pretty meh. I am pretty certain I won't remember (much of) it in a few days time.

[Cali Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a entertaining, emotional, engaging and sweet romance. The story was a good read from beginning to the end. Was a quick yet great read.

[Tina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second Chance at Love

Once Upon a Rake is the second of Samantha Holt’s Victorian romances I have read, the first being Tempting His Mistress and once again it is a fantastic read! It is a tale of second chances and an unexpected reversal of fortune for both the hero and heroine, where they must help each other recover from old and new wounds before their HEA can be reached. It also delves into the social issues of the day surrounding the working conditions in cotton mills, which I enjoyed reading.

When Ellie Browning is found in a compromising position with the rakish Lucian her father marries her off to a much older man, to preserve her reputation. Fast forward seven years and the newly widowed Ellie, now a countess, returns to England determined to participate in the running of the mill that her deceased husband had invested in. Lucian, the mill owner, is no longer the rake he was, cutting himself off from society and throwing himself into the business to keep it afloat. Ellie by contrast is now to all intents and purposes an accomplished young woman, having gained much confidence from her life with her late husband. Yet both are lonely and the heroine still feels unworthy of a man like Lucian, who she is still very much attracted to.

Although Lucian resents what he views as Ellie’s interference in the mill, she will not be prevented from helping. I loved Ellie’s tenacity in persuading Lucian to let her get involved. The more time he spends with and comes to know Ellie, the more respect he garners for her and he becomes obsessed with her, despite himself. However, he has little to offer this woman who is now his social superior and begins to regret how he acted towards her in the past.

I just loved the handsome but taciturn hero Lucian! When he is first introduced in the book he comes across as a thoroughly self-centred and unlikable character, totally unworthy of the adoration of the young heroine Ellie. Samantha Holt manages to redeem his character as we learn about what has happened to him since he last saw Ellie. By the end of the novel he had totally redeemed himself in my eyes, having learned a lot in the intervening years, yet still remained as devilish as ever! I found the way in which the author portrays Lucian’s dawning realisation that Ellie is the woman for him very well done.

I adored that Ellie is an unconventional woman in terms of her impulsiveness, outspoken nature and her interests. She comes across as a very believable and worthy heroine. Although she strives to be confident she has a number of vulnerabilities, which I was rooting for her to overcome. I also liked how she sees past Lucian’s grumpy demeanour and slowly finds out about the reality of the man that he has become. Dare she take a chance on him this man who once broke her heart?

The sexual tension between the couple simmers until passion ignites – and ignite it does! The lovemaking scenes are sweet, sensual and sizzling and I really wanted the couple to admit their true feelings for one another. The read also has an element of danger and suspense as Lucian and Ellie try to get to the bottom of problems at the mill.

I recommend this read to lovers of historical romance who are after a fast-paced, entertaining and sensual read.

[☽ Rhiannon ✭ Mistwalker ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such good angst! Insecure heroine deeply hurt by the hero when they are young. Seven years later and they both find healing in each other. I didn't even mind the mystery subplot, it kept things moving while the focus stayed on the romance. Definitely right up my alley.

Reread in 2020: Definitely a very sweet book with some nice moments of insecurity and healing. It still strikes me as a bit odd to find myself cheering for a mill owner that employs children. I pictured him as Richard Armitage in North & South, another character that is obviously a stone cold fox, but I have to set aside my dislike for bosses for these stories. I can’t help but wondering what exactly all this “work” is that Lucian does all day. We know it’s not the books or the actual labor that brings in the money, so....

[Sometime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this story and the writing isn't bad. But the author relies too much on repetitive internal dialogue to move the plot. Ellie is clumsy, unattractive and plain. Lucien is a hideous beast with a scar. How do we know this? Because the characters tell us over and over and over again. An example of Ellie's clumsiness: she has to carefully watch her hem as she exits the dance floor so she doesn't trip. I'm pretty sure every single woman leaving the floor does the exact same thing. It just started to feel ridiculous and exaggerated. There is too much dwelling on the other's physical attractiveness. We are never shown any of these things only beaten over the head with internal dialogue.

I got bored and started skimming. I was hoping for a better story.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful novel that I really enjoyed about about a young woman, Ellie, who considers herself an 'ugly duckling' after some cruel words spoken when she was younger, and a scarred rake, Lucian, who had said then. The story tells of their meeting after several years and a cotton mill that they now both share own. The story has a lovely romance as Lucian realizes that Ellie has grow into a beautiful woman and Ellie has all the feelings she had as a girl for Lucian but worries about her looks. There's also mystery and suspense in the plot to add a little intrigue. A very entertaining, and nicely written story.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Eleanor Browning, the seventeen-year-old daughter of the hosts for the evening, called out in a high-pitched voice for Lucian who was trying to hide around the side of the building. But if he moved any deeper into the shadows, he would have no chance of spotting Lady Clarissa as she slipped out of the ballroom to join him for their rendezvous. An experienced widow was just what he was looking for! However, it was Ellie who ran up to him, urging him back into the ballroom for the next dance! His mother had known it would be difficult for her to find partners and urged him to dance with her. That had been a horrible idea. All it had done was encourage her. She had followed him around like a lost puppy for a couple of years now but he had no interest in a mere child. When he is frustrated and annoyed that he cannot get to Clarissa, he uncaringly puts Ellie in a compromising position and she is forced to marry an elderly man old enough to be her father in order to avoid scandal.

When Ellie returns after her husband dies, she is now a Countess and he has left her shares in a cotton mill. She wants to get more involved in the business and finds that the owner is Lucian! Although Ellie is no longer the ugly duckling that Lucian knew, he is no longer the handsome rake, being scarred in a fire. Someone is still trying to burn down the mill. Will they be able to find the culprit? Will they reconnect despite all that happened to them?

I think the problem I am having is that cruelty of any kind really bothers me. Lucian wasn’t merely a rake, but he was a selfish, cruel, ignorant fool who looked first for his own gratification. Not getting what he wants, he turns mean and hateful, not caring what it meant to a young woman to be caught getting a kiss alone with a man. His total spitefulness at being thwarted made me dislike him very much. I applaud the author for the powerful feelings she brings up in the reader – but I think this works again the story this time. I never, as a reader, forgave him for the way he treated Ellie and ruined her without even a twinge of remorse. When the tables turned, it felt like he was getting what he deserved. It was too little, too late and I couldn’t be happy for him. The story line’s mystery was a good touch. But the mean spirited behavior was too much to overcome and will spoil the story for many.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Lady Eleanor Sedgewick, Countess of Hawthorne was forced to marry an elderly earl to save her reputation after the man she had adored, but who only saw her as an annoyance, left her heartbroken, she has put aside her notions of love and romance. She's finally realized that what she thought were appreciative glances were merely looks of disgust from the object of her affections. Now widowed and well-traveled, Eleanor has returned to England to look into her partial interest in a cotton mill left to her by her late husband. Unfortunately, the owner of the other half of the factory is none other than Lord Lucian Deverill, the Viscount of Rushbourne, the same man to whom she owes her ruination and broken heart of seven years prior.

After ignoring her letters, Lucian winds up saving Eleanor from a dangerous situation at the roadside tavern she followed him to. He doesn't even recognize the lady the once coltish Ellie has become. Now badly scarred by a fire that destroyed one of his factories, Lucian has been hiding away from the world and is not at all eager to have Ellie involved in his business dealings. He's struggling enough to keep the mill afloat in difficult economic times and doesn't want any interference, especially from her, even if he is amazed by all the changes in her.

Eleanor is enthralled by the progress of industry and excited to be a part of it. But spending more and more time with Lucian ignites things between them and Lucian begins to wonder if he can redeem himself for his past hatefulness or if it's not too late for him and Ellie.

Lucian is just awful to Eleanor from the start, but she mostly takes it all in stride. He does nothing but pick out her faults, many of which he points out to her face. At first I really didn't care for this one, mostly because I couldn't believe this jerk was going to get the girl in the end, but I'm glad I stuck with it because he got so much better. This was very well written and the pace was fast enough to keep me engaged.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

We meet the hero and heroine, Lucian and Ellie respectively, years before the main body of the book takes place. She is a teenager who’s had a crush on him, and she follows him around like a puppy. On a fateful night during a ball, he ruined her with a kiss witnessed by her father. She is forced to marry an earl who is her father's friend. Coming back to England after globe-hopping with her now-dead husband, the widowed countess is looking forward to taking charge of her late husband's affairs. One of them is a mill owned by none other than Lucian. Both have changed considerably in the years since they’ve seen each other. She holds her head high with a measure of confidence gained from being a nobleman's wife and her travels, and he's been knocked down a peg or two because of a grizzly injury.

Has the rake reformed, reviled by polite society? What will he think of Ellie's interference with his business? Can they both move past what went before?

Lucian was a hard hero to appreciate. He indeed was a rake back in the day and had such dismissive, unkind thoughts of the heroine when they were younger. When they meet up again, he's still a bit of a jerk. I want my hero to be a little more likable. I did find it interesting, though, to watch Ellie's transformation from lovesick girl to countess. Even though much of that takes place offscreen, you can tell that it was not a straight path for her to come from what she was to who she is. While she's no longer a little mouse, she's not quite an imposing countess either. From what little we know of her earlier, this evolution seems completely natural. She continues to grow and change as she deals with Lucian and works with her late husband business interests.

If you don't mind a story with a rake who doesn't reform quite quick enough, you might enjoy this book.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book. I loved this story. The storyline and plot is very exciting. We have a cotton mill that is going through some hard times. There is crooked accounting and sabotage. Ellie is a wonderful character. She is a contradiction of emotion and appearance. From the time she was young she realized she was not beautiful and had little to no redeeming features. An incident with her childhood friend Lucian caused her parents to marry her off to a much older Earl. Her marriage was educationally enlightening and helped her develop into a well-rounded person. But she was still an insecure child emotionally. After seven years of traveling the world with her husband, he died and left her a fortune and property. One of her investments was a mill she co-owned with Lucian. She wanted to help manage the mill. Not sure how, she relied on Lucian to help her. Lucian is a very handsome renown rake. But since a fire in his mill, it left him damaged not only externally but internally as well. When Ellie insists on going over Lucian's books, he wants to oust her from his life. As they spend time together old hurts start to heal and a new love springs forth for them. At the same time someone is trying to sabotage the mill. First by tampering with the equipment and later setting a fire. Ellie knows there is something suspicious in the accounting. This is a very exciting, dangerous, drama filled romance. I do recommend it. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old acquaintances ditch scars and baggage in favor of lust and love

When the former rake who inherits his patter's mill is scarred badly in a fire, he withdraws form Society, Rakedom, and sexual pleasure. Surely, he's too ugly now, and he can't bear the pity and scorn of former Ton friends and fellow carousers. When the annoying neighbor girl who he ruined years ago returns as a wealthy titled widow - and the principal investor in his mill - he is torn with guilt, and needled by annoyance. It's his fault her family married her off to a geriatric titled husband in order to preserve her from disgrace. It's his fault that she's never had any of the physical joys of love, and that she blames herself because she's so ugly (he was the one who told her so!). And why does he find himself caring what she thinks? Plus the woman insists on reviewing the books - she's far from stupid, not at all sheltered by her late husband, and determined to have a hand in her own future. Problem is, the mill's not flourishing, and may go under. The mystery of the accidents which plague the declining mill, the discrepancies she finds in the books, and his guilty conscience throw them together, and the sparks of lust are even hotter than the arson at the mill. Superb character-driven sexy romance, and the dangerous mystery of the mill combine in a well-crafted historical romance that fans of the genre will adore.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story, set in Victorian England, concerning a former rake and an ugly duckling. He was a pompous a$$ who broke her heart stating she was ugly. A kiss given as a punishment, led to her hasty marriage to an elderly but wealthy earl. Seven years later they meet again, her a widow, him the partner of one of her late husband's investments, a cotton mill. But things change in seven years. He used to be handsome, but an accident scarred him for life. She used to be an ugly duckling, but marriage to the late wealthy earl transformed her to an elegant, world-travelled countess. When they meet again, their chemistry is off the charts, just as it was on that fateful night he kissed her out of spite, denying the sparks between them.

Both the hero and heroine carry their own scars, physical or other. They both have self-esteem issues, mainly concerning their appearance and the way others perceive them. Ms. Holt has done a wonderful job describing their inner turmoil and although this is a quick read, it has a complete and captivating storyline. Apart from the romance, which is quite steamy, the story also revolves around the mystery of the cotton mill's "accidents", which endanger not only their prosperity but their wellbeing as well.

4.5 stars for this little gem, just because I wish there was a longer plotline concerning the mystery part.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Lou Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONCE UPON A RAKE is a stand-alone historical romance.

They were both young and impetuous. Lucian said cruel words in a fit of pique, because Ellie had hampered his rakish behavior with a willing widow.

I loved this story, because even an ugly duckling deserves a Happily Ever After. Not that I believe that Ellie was ever ugly. By my own experience, sometimes people are callous as a means of deflection. In the end, Lucian proved that he was attracted to her. IMHO, he probably always had been and didn’t know how to express it at a younger age when he didn’t want marriage.

So, what did this story have? It was an Ugly Duckling story (remember that childhood favorite?) and honestly the teasers are the ones to be pitied, because the duck is actually a beautiful swan! There was a mystery – who is sabotaging the mill and why? Finally, there is a slowly building romance. These elements work together to create an easy, fun read.

I continue to love everything I have read that has been written by Samantha Holt.

Note: while I was given this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.


Title: ONCE UPON A RAKE
Series: N/A
Category /Genre: Historical Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: A – near perfect
Received from: Samantha Holt (as an ARC gifted copy)

[Sheila Gabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are parts of this story that are fabulous and parts that make me want to rip my hair out in frustration but in the end the story was good enough to hold my interest to the end. The "hero" of this story just makes me want to bi%$&slap him into next week at the beginning, somewhat in the end and reconsidered toward the end. He doesn't have a lot of redeeming features at the beginning - which you would expect of a rake but he is really down right unlikable in his treatment of Ellie. He gets some brownie points in the middle because of his care for his workers but he still treats Ellie abominably until he finally gets passed his previous notions about her. The end came together and redeemed this story and finally Lucian as well. Ellie is a whole other story - the awkward girl grows into a handsome countess who while never really being beautiful in the conventional sense does have her own that she needs to realize and grow into. The inner monologue of Ellie's insecurities became a little tiresome but you have to realize she really did get dealt a raw hand and never even when young had the boost she needed. I am glad she finally got her HEA and the man she loved from childhood. I received a copy of this book from Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

[Carole Burant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie Browning has had a crush on Lucian ever since she was 17 but he lets her know that she's ugly and that he's no more attracted to her than his horse....talk about a blow to your self esteem!!! Now it's 7 years later, Ellie is a widow and a Countess, and she returns from her travels to check out the cotton mill (owned by Lucian) which her late husband had invested a lot of money in.

Lucian still thinks she's homely looking so why does he suddenly feel so attracted to her? I thought it was very heartwarming when he realizes how much he had hurt her by his words all those years ago and is now able to see the beauty that she really is.

Someone is trying to sabotage the mill and the business....lots of action where that is concerned!!

The only thing I didn't care for in this story is the steady reference at how ugly Ellie is. I don't think it needed to be said so often and I just felt so heartsick for her.

I revived a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just OK for me. I was intrigued by this ugly duckling trope themed book. But what I anticipated to be a sweet, emotionally uplifting read totally fell flat and landed far short of the mark. I did not like the hero of this book at all. In favct I would go so far as to say I detested him. Vile, vain, uncouth and uncaring, there was simply not one single redeeming characteristic to or action taken by this supposed hero. I am a open minded reader and I read all types of romance tropes including dark romances, and honestly, there are less than a handful of characters I would lump in with this one for being completely unredeemable. Although I liked the heroine a bit more than the hero, she was still a very big dissappointment. I would have loved for this character to have shown more strength, growth and maturity after everything she had been through. For me this was a swing and a miss. This is my candid, voluntary review.

[Judy Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! This is a wonderful historical romance with a mystery. The characters were engaging and likeable. Ellie is a lively, intelligent and caring woman, who has never really felt she was beautiful, but has always loved Lucian. Lucian is a former rake who, in the past, put too much emphasis on beauty and looks and as a result overlooked Ellie’s charms. When their paths cross years later, the sparks fly. Once again this author has penned a fantastic historical romance, complete with some mystery, suspense and danger, and of course, a sensual, steamy romance between two people who were clearly meant to be together. The repartee between the characters is as entertaining as it is engaging and is totally appropriate for the era. The storyline is compelling and addictive and I had a hard time putting this book down. Absolutely brilliant!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story. It is well written and holds your attention. Lucian and Eleanor meet again after seven years when she takes an interest in one of the businesses her late husband left her that is in partnership with Lucian. Lucian comes to realize quickly that Eleanor is not the mousy little girl of long ago but is a woman that he finds himself attracted to. The mill is having problems that Eleanor discovers while reviewing the business ledgers. All this time the attraction between the two of them grows and emotions neither of them expected are developing. There is a HEA but a lot happens first, including finding the culprit sabotaging the mill. It is a great love story foremost and I would highly recommend it as a great read.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Ellie, the ugly young debutante, and Lucian, the dashing and dangerous rake. Lucian ruins Ellie forcing her to marry someone much older than her but that hasn't stopped her. After following her late husband around the world, she has grown up and now she is in business with Lucian, except he is not the same man she knew. A fire that left Lucian scarred has caused some changes in him too. There is intrigue when someone tries to sabotage their business. There is romance and drama and passion thrown in for good measure. This is an all-around good book. It will entertain you and leave you wanting more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t realise i had read this book two years ago. I loved it just as much this time around. Ellie is young and innocent and enamoured with Lucian. She follows him outside at a dance and is caught kissing him by her father. To save her from disgrace he quickly marries her off to an older man. Seven years later, after travelling the world with her late husband she returns home intending on having a say in the running of the mill she has inherited half of. The other owner, Lucian, is not very happy about this and sets about making things difficult for her. The are still strongly attracted to each other but determined to not let it show. How will things work out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucien and Eleanor (Ellie) have known each other since childhood. She adored him, until he put her in a compromising position with his rakish ways, "forcing" her to marry a significantly older gentleman. Flash forward seven years and Eleanor is a wealthy widow with monetary stakes in Lucien’s floundering cotton mills. Much to Lucien’s annoyance, Ellie wants to assist in the managing of these mills and insists on going over the account books. Sparks fly, misconceptions abound, complications arise and accidents happen....all before the “happily ever after”. It is a well thought out, well written, interesting and enjoyable story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

At seventeen, Eleanor Browning was infatuated with the older and rakish Lucian Deverill, who was far too arrogantly aware of his good looks and not interested in the plain, clumsy and unendowed child chasing him around. Determined to scare her away from him once and for all, his cruel lesson ended up with serious repercussions for Ellie, and in the ensuing scandal that followed, Ellie was promptly married to a much older man and spent the next 7 years abroad.

When Ellie returns back to English shores, it is as the elegant and very wealthy widowed Countess of Hawthorne, seeking out Lucian, who has since inherited the Viscountcy of Rushbourne. Her business with Lucian this time is just that, strictly business, as she tries to find out more about the cotton mill owned by Lucian, in which she holds significant shares. Lucian too has changed much more than just his title. Scarred from a fire a few years ago, he has become dreadfully self-conscious, expecting others to judge him on his superficial appearance the way he used to judge others and found them lacking (especially Ellie). As a result, he has become a recluse from society, throwing his passion and energy into his work at the mill rather than living it up in town. Seeing Ellie again brings with it mixed feelings of guilt as well as admiration and attraction for the stronger and more confident lady, little Ellie has become. In her shadow, he feels even more aware of his perceived physical deficiency and past behavioural inadequacies. They skirt around one another, both wary and fearful of showing any interest in the other, convinced that rejection is inevitable. It really is quite a good story, despite not being that lengthy.