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Union of the Rakes #1
My Fake Rake
In the first book in Eva Leigh's new Union of the Rakes series, a bluestocking hires a faux suitor to help her land an ideal husband only to be blindsided by real desire…
Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to "build" the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace's colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires.
In exchange for funding his passage on an expedition leaving London in a few months, Sebastian allows Grace to transform him from a bespectacled, bookish academic into a dashing—albeit fake—rake. Between secret lessons on how to be a rogue and exaggerated public flirtations, Grace's feelings for Sebastian grow from friendship into undeniable, inconvenient, real attraction. If only she hadn't hired him to help her marry someone else...
Sebastian is in love with brilliant, beautiful Grace, but their bargain is complete, and she desires another. Yet when he's faced with losing her forever, Sebastian will do whatever it takes to tell her the truth, even if it means risking his own future—and his heart.
Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to "build" the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace's colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires.
In exchange for funding his passage on an expedition leaving London in a few months, Sebastian allows Grace to transform him from a bespectacled, bookish academic into a dashing—albeit fake—rake. Between secret lessons on how to be a rogue and exaggerated public flirtations, Grace's feelings for Sebastian grow from friendship into undeniable, inconvenient, real attraction. If only she hadn't hired him to help her marry someone else...
Sebastian is in love with brilliant, beautiful Grace, but their bargain is complete, and she desires another. Yet when he's faced with losing her forever, Sebastian will do whatever it takes to tell her the truth, even if it means risking his own future—and his heart.
369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 26, 2019
484 people are currently reading
6414 people want to read
About the author
Eva Leigh
27 books1,477 followersEva Leigh is a USA Today bestselling romance author. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, her books have been featured by the New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, Self, Paste Magazine, and many more. Her work has also been translated into numerous languages. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and cats. Visit her on the web at evaleighauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 827 reviews
dnf
April 9, 2021DNF at 21%.
I was getting second hand embarrassment from reading certain scenes and I don’t deal well with that shit.
Plus the writing/storytelling elements felt a bit forced.
I was getting second hand embarrassment from reading certain scenes and I don’t deal well with that shit.
Plus the writing/storytelling elements felt a bit forced.
January 11, 2021
I really loved this concept, a friends to lovers romance with bookish main characters and a heroine transforming the hero into a rake, but the miscommunication got a bit frustrating for me! Plus the narrator of the audio never differentiated the voices between the hero and heroine lol. So if anyone is interested in reading this, I would skip the audio
December 10, 2019
1.5-1.75 stars
January 18, 2022
3.5 stars
Grace and Sebastian are friends and have been for some time. Both are scholars, and both are single. It’s been many seasons and Grace has lost hope of ever finding a husband, but her father becomes ill and insistent. Sebastian is there to help her. Maybe if Sebastian starts showing her some attention she can get her perfect man’s attention. I mean, what could go wrong?
This book should have been perfect for me. Honestly, friends to lovers, fake dating, scholarly H/h, and all kinds of goodness! And while I did like it, it just felt a little… off. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it was slow at times, or I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I wanted to, but I didn’t love it. I liked the story, liked the characters, everything was good, but nothing standout.
“There’s no should when it comes to what we feel. There aren’t scientific laws when it comes to the human heart.”
Grace and Sebastian are friends and have been for some time. Both are scholars, and both are single. It’s been many seasons and Grace has lost hope of ever finding a husband, but her father becomes ill and insistent. Sebastian is there to help her. Maybe if Sebastian starts showing her some attention she can get her perfect man’s attention. I mean, what could go wrong?
This book should have been perfect for me. Honestly, friends to lovers, fake dating, scholarly H/h, and all kinds of goodness! And while I did like it, it just felt a little… off. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it was slow at times, or I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I wanted to, but I didn’t love it. I liked the story, liked the characters, everything was good, but nothing standout.
Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrator: Zara Hampton- Brown
Narration Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 10h 6m
April 13, 2021
3.5
A summer vacation wouldn’t be complete without a slightly steamy HF romance... at least mine can’t.
Intelligent Lady naturalist is friends with bespectacled and slightly disheveled anthropologist. With the help of a real rake, nerdy (but handsome) dude begins to resemble a sophisticated gentleman. Confusion, chemistry and complications ensue.
I just love me some romance between early 19th century nerds.
A summer vacation wouldn’t be complete without a slightly steamy HF romance... at least mine can’t.
Intelligent Lady naturalist is friends with bespectacled and slightly disheveled anthropologist. With the help of a real rake, nerdy (but handsome) dude begins to resemble a sophisticated gentleman. Confusion, chemistry and complications ensue.
I just love me some romance between early 19th century nerds.
August 31, 2020
Wow...so I was pleasantly surprised. This was my first historical romance.
My Fake Rake may have proven to little ole me that I actually might end up really enjoying historical romances. I didn't really think about the fact that a lot of them would probably end up being slow burn because of societal expectations of the time, but that's definitely right up my alley! I read a few reviews of this book before finishing it and I learned that these books may possibly be based on 80's films. If so, this definitely reminded me heavily of Can't Buy Me Love which I really enjoy! This book and the movie focus on a young woman taking the opportunity to teach her friend how to be "cool/popular." Of course in doing this both realize their attraction and fall in love. In this first book of the series, Grace enlists the assistance of anthropologist Sebastian to transfer him into rake in hopes of attracting the attention of another man. Of course, things go in a completely different direction than expected.
Some of the things that I enjoyed most about this book definitely included the characters and the notations and push back against traditional societal gender roles. I loved that Grace was confident in her career as well as the exploration of her own body. There was a specific scene in which she admits to exploring her body on her own and I was here for the confidence she exuded in admitting that. It was amazing to see that placed within the framework of this book because it not only pushes back against the idea that women should be chaste and not engage in such things back then, but it also pushes back against those who still have those standards today. There were also side characters who addressed issues regarding sexism and colonialism. Leigh definitely captured two delightful souls in Grace and Seb. They are both bookworms who come off as really shy but dedicated to their work. I think that the awkwardness that they exude around each other once that attraction occurs is purely delightful. I thought it was the cutest thing ever. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT SEB'S MOUTH DURING THAT STEAMY SCENE. All I'm going to say is that I was not expecting that AT ALL and I was here for every single word!
I did have a few issues with this book in terms of plot. I like the friends to lovers trope for my own personal reasons *wink*; however, sometimes I feel like getting to the point at which they recognize that they are lovers takes too long and it felt that way for me in this book. There was a miscommunication that happens in the second half of the book that was completely unnecessary in my opinion and it extended the length of the novel. For me this creates situations where I get bored or frustrated with the characters and I felt a little frustration towards Grace and Seb. Don't get me wrong I do understand why Leigh used that as a means to get to certain aspects of the plot; however, I feel as though the communication was so minor and happened at such an awkward moment that she could have used something else. I also wish that she would have had Seb's father on page for some conflict resolution. It felt almost like it was included for plot development but then forgotten by the end of the book.
Other than that I thought it was a great romance. I enjoyed Seb and Grace as a couple and I'm excited to see what else is in store with the rest of the series!
My Fake Rake may have proven to little ole me that I actually might end up really enjoying historical romances. I didn't really think about the fact that a lot of them would probably end up being slow burn because of societal expectations of the time, but that's definitely right up my alley! I read a few reviews of this book before finishing it and I learned that these books may possibly be based on 80's films. If so, this definitely reminded me heavily of Can't Buy Me Love which I really enjoy! This book and the movie focus on a young woman taking the opportunity to teach her friend how to be "cool/popular." Of course in doing this both realize their attraction and fall in love. In this first book of the series, Grace enlists the assistance of anthropologist Sebastian to transfer him into rake in hopes of attracting the attention of another man. Of course, things go in a completely different direction than expected.
Some of the things that I enjoyed most about this book definitely included the characters and the notations and push back against traditional societal gender roles. I loved that Grace was confident in her career as well as the exploration of her own body. There was a specific scene in which she admits to exploring her body on her own and I was here for the confidence she exuded in admitting that. It was amazing to see that placed within the framework of this book because it not only pushes back against the idea that women should be chaste and not engage in such things back then, but it also pushes back against those who still have those standards today. There were also side characters who addressed issues regarding sexism and colonialism. Leigh definitely captured two delightful souls in Grace and Seb. They are both bookworms who come off as really shy but dedicated to their work. I think that the awkwardness that they exude around each other once that attraction occurs is purely delightful. I thought it was the cutest thing ever. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT SEB'S MOUTH DURING THAT STEAMY SCENE. All I'm going to say is that I was not expecting that AT ALL and I was here for every single word!
I did have a few issues with this book in terms of plot. I like the friends to lovers trope for my own personal reasons *wink*; however, sometimes I feel like getting to the point at which they recognize that they are lovers takes too long and it felt that way for me in this book. There was a miscommunication that happens in the second half of the book that was completely unnecessary in my opinion and it extended the length of the novel. For me this creates situations where I get bored or frustrated with the characters and I felt a little frustration towards Grace and Seb. Don't get me wrong I do understand why Leigh used that as a means to get to certain aspects of the plot; however, I feel as though the communication was so minor and happened at such an awkward moment that she could have used something else. I also wish that she would have had Seb's father on page for some conflict resolution. It felt almost like it was included for plot development but then forgotten by the end of the book.
Other than that I thought it was a great romance. I enjoyed Seb and Grace as a couple and I'm excited to see what else is in store with the rest of the series!
January 5, 2021
This hit the spot for me in terms of both the trope combo and the writing. The tropes were some of my favs: slow burn friends to lovers, sweet/cinnamon roll hero, STEM heroine, geeky romance, & fake dating. Tone wise, I liked that this had a light, fun perspective rather than overly angsty, even though there were some definite FEELINGS and PINING happening
dnf
October 15, 2022Hell no, I started this book but then started skimming to see if it was worth reading because the content was getting cringey. Let me just say… it’s not.
Hero is helping heroine attract an OM for marriage. Hero has seemingly always been in love with the heroine, but never made it known in the four years of their friendship. Hero and heroine have sex for the first time, she was a virgin, and immediately after he cums on her stomach this happens…
They spun once more, until she was back beneath him. He plunged into her, a handful of heavy, solid thrusts, each one accompanied by his pleasured grunt, before he pulled out and groaned his release, droplets spattering on her belly.
He lowered himself beside her. There were no sounds other than Grace’s and Sebastian’s own slowing breaths. The village was quiet—everyone had found their own beds. Maybe some of the villagers were doing just what she and Sebastian had done. If so, bless them. Everyone should have that kind of fathomless pleasure.
The rain had stopped, with an immense, velvet quiet following.
Sebastian’s arm wrapped around her waist, and he rested his lips against the crown of her head. She felt protected. Adored. Tenderness swept through her.
“Grace,” he said, his breath warm on her. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I know,” she murmured. He’d been careful, as he said he would be, ensuring he didn’t get her with child.
He exhaled with what sounded like relief. “Good. I’m glad. I won’t ask more from you. You and I . . . we’re friends, and I don’t want to rob you of your dreams.”
She frowned in confusion, unable to make sense of what he said. Her mind snagged on the word friends. “My dreams?”
“Of Fredericks,” he said quietly. “He’s who you want. And you and I can go on as we have, put this behind us. It was a onetime madness. An error in judgment, never to be repeated.”
Dismay nearly choked her. Was it true—he thought making love with her had been a mistake?
Is this shit for real???? What a pathetic hero that he can have sex with the heroine, knowing it’s her first time, but he doesn’t have the balls to declare any kind of feelings for her? Pathetic. He is pining for her in the first chapter of the book!!! I like a beta hero to an extent, but this goes way beyond anything acceptable.
Also, for my safety friends… he’s wanted her for four years, but doesn’t say a single thing to her about it. He’s also very awkward with many OW who approach him and isn’t able to get a single sentence past his lips…. BUT he somehow was able to speak enough to a widow to have had her as a lover until 3 months before the start of the story. He’s not a manwhore (he specifies 5 lovers) but I’m not into a hero who is with other women while his supposed love is right under his nose. He was attracted to her, desired her, it hurt him when she talked about marrying because she HAD to. AND YET he said nothing, did nothing, was her first (a big deal during that time period), and immediately goes back to pretenses of friendship.
Definitely a Zero.
Hero is helping heroine attract an OM for marriage. Hero has seemingly always been in love with the heroine, but never made it known in the four years of their friendship. Hero and heroine have sex for the first time, she was a virgin, and immediately after he cums on her stomach this happens…
They spun once more, until she was back beneath him. He plunged into her, a handful of heavy, solid thrusts, each one accompanied by his pleasured grunt, before he pulled out and groaned his release, droplets spattering on her belly.
He lowered himself beside her. There were no sounds other than Grace’s and Sebastian’s own slowing breaths. The village was quiet—everyone had found their own beds. Maybe some of the villagers were doing just what she and Sebastian had done. If so, bless them. Everyone should have that kind of fathomless pleasure.
The rain had stopped, with an immense, velvet quiet following.
Sebastian’s arm wrapped around her waist, and he rested his lips against the crown of her head. She felt protected. Adored. Tenderness swept through her.
“Grace,” he said, his breath warm on her. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I know,” she murmured. He’d been careful, as he said he would be, ensuring he didn’t get her with child.
He exhaled with what sounded like relief. “Good. I’m glad. I won’t ask more from you. You and I . . . we’re friends, and I don’t want to rob you of your dreams.”
She frowned in confusion, unable to make sense of what he said. Her mind snagged on the word friends. “My dreams?”
“Of Fredericks,” he said quietly. “He’s who you want. And you and I can go on as we have, put this behind us. It was a onetime madness. An error in judgment, never to be repeated.”
Dismay nearly choked her. Was it true—he thought making love with her had been a mistake?
Is this shit for real???? What a pathetic hero that he can have sex with the heroine, knowing it’s her first time, but he doesn’t have the balls to declare any kind of feelings for her? Pathetic. He is pining for her in the first chapter of the book!!! I like a beta hero to an extent, but this goes way beyond anything acceptable.
Also, for my safety friends… he’s wanted her for four years, but doesn’t say a single thing to her about it. He’s also very awkward with many OW who approach him and isn’t able to get a single sentence past his lips…. BUT he somehow was able to speak enough to a widow to have had her as a lover until 3 months before the start of the story. He’s not a manwhore (he specifies 5 lovers) but I’m not into a hero who is with other women while his supposed love is right under his nose. He was attracted to her, desired her, it hurt him when she talked about marrying because she HAD to. AND YET he said nothing, did nothing, was her first (a big deal during that time period), and immediately goes back to pretenses of friendship.
Definitely a Zero.
August 26, 2019
Will two persons who have feelings deeper than friendship for another take the risk to damage their relationship and open their heart or will they keep their emotions shut down and risk to let happiness pass them by?
This is my first book written by Mrs Eva Leigh and it won’t be the last, this book was unputdownable, why I even chastised myself for choosing to read it on a working day!
Mrs Leigh has crafted a vivid tale of finding its with blood and flesh lively characters.
I simply adored this rather reversal of my Fair Lady with Sebastian Holloway as Eliza Doolittle.
I immediately fell in love with Mrs Leigh hero, I loved Sebastian, I rooted for him, my heart arched and broke for him, I cheered too for him! As all along his relationship moved from caring to deep love for Grace, he also found his voice and his confidence.
He is not the usual alpha man so oftenly portrayed in romance novels, he is the one waiting in the shadows, the one who will notice the heroine and give his handkerchief is needed. For her, he accepted to become someone else, to face his own fears and stand by her side to make her felt desired. Even ready to fade away back in the edges of her life if necessary to provide her what she asked for.
Don’t ask me why but I portrayed him as Eddie Redmayne as Newton Scamander, his gangly physic, his long frame avoiding other’s glares, his mane of hair ...
« he could not consider failure. He’d been a disappointment to his family—he refused to disappoint someone he truly cared about. »
For a clever woman, Lady Grace was one very slow on the uptake, she catalogued all the things she liked then loved about him as she wanted to remember them but it took her so very very long to comprehend her own feelings I wondered where her big brain has gone. She is a recognized entity in her field but really guileless reading love. But I loved her, she is just ignorant and by analyzing all her own reactions and feelings, she accepted she made a mistake, a big one.
The main problem was she did acknowledge him as her friend but didn’t really saw him for the man who makes her heart beats faster, her belly flutters. She needed closeness and nearly losing him to understand how perfect he was, this man who faced his fears only for her.
The period of Sebastian metamorphosis from a bookworm to a rake was quite full of witty banters and quips between the trio of friends, Grace, Seb and Rotherby, at time it was really hilarious. It was really a marvel of twists and bounces from one situation to an other.
« “What I wear is serviceable enough. I’ve had this waistcoat for years.” “And it deserves some rest to repay its decade of valiant service,” Rotherby noted. “A rake is never dressed in clothing that’s old enough to marry.” »
The Love triangle trope is far from my favorite as it always leaves one party hurt.
And in this story, there is no vilain in this story, just a young woman who didn’t understand fully the range of her action when she jumped on the battlefields to win one man’s interest when her heart was already pulsing faster when close by an other. Why I even felt more sorry for FredericKs, as he is the underdog of the book, but stairs do gracious even in his defeat.
« “I wanted Mason, but it’s Sebastian I need.” »
Until the very last chapter, I was on edge, worried by Grace and Seb inability to see past their own mask, then there was this love declaration scene, one of the most beautiful I have read since long. My heart had stopped to beat for some seconds, as I was keyed up by what I was reading. This was the perfect rendition of Sebastian’s personality, a knight with or without a shining armor, who would follow to the end of the earth the woman he loved.
A special mention for Rotherby, for a duke, he is quite an amazing character too, aware of his flaws and playing with them, his friendship with Sebastian was so refreshing, a peer with a commoner and this same lofty peer, a rake of a Duke, playing matchmaker for his friend.
Why I was so happy to learn he will be the next rake in this series, what a fabulous hero he will make.
A big fat 10 stars
I was granted through Edelweiss an advance copy by the publisher Avon. I had previously to it preordered my own copy.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
This is my first book written by Mrs Eva Leigh and it won’t be the last, this book was unputdownable, why I even chastised myself for choosing to read it on a working day!
Mrs Leigh has crafted a vivid tale of finding its with blood and flesh lively characters.
I simply adored this rather reversal of my Fair Lady with Sebastian Holloway as Eliza Doolittle.
I immediately fell in love with Mrs Leigh hero, I loved Sebastian, I rooted for him, my heart arched and broke for him, I cheered too for him! As all along his relationship moved from caring to deep love for Grace, he also found his voice and his confidence.
He is not the usual alpha man so oftenly portrayed in romance novels, he is the one waiting in the shadows, the one who will notice the heroine and give his handkerchief is needed. For her, he accepted to become someone else, to face his own fears and stand by her side to make her felt desired. Even ready to fade away back in the edges of her life if necessary to provide her what she asked for.
Don’t ask me why but I portrayed him as Eddie Redmayne as Newton Scamander, his gangly physic, his long frame avoiding other’s glares, his mane of hair ...
« he could not consider failure. He’d been a disappointment to his family—he refused to disappoint someone he truly cared about. »
For a clever woman, Lady Grace was one very slow on the uptake, she catalogued all the things she liked then loved about him as she wanted to remember them but it took her so very very long to comprehend her own feelings I wondered where her big brain has gone. She is a recognized entity in her field but really guileless reading love. But I loved her, she is just ignorant and by analyzing all her own reactions and feelings, she accepted she made a mistake, a big one.
The main problem was she did acknowledge him as her friend but didn’t really saw him for the man who makes her heart beats faster, her belly flutters. She needed closeness and nearly losing him to understand how perfect he was, this man who faced his fears only for her.
The period of Sebastian metamorphosis from a bookworm to a rake was quite full of witty banters and quips between the trio of friends, Grace, Seb and Rotherby, at time it was really hilarious. It was really a marvel of twists and bounces from one situation to an other.
« “What I wear is serviceable enough. I’ve had this waistcoat for years.” “And it deserves some rest to repay its decade of valiant service,” Rotherby noted. “A rake is never dressed in clothing that’s old enough to marry.” »
The Love triangle trope is far from my favorite as it always leaves one party hurt.
And in this story, there is no vilain in this story, just a young woman who didn’t understand fully the range of her action when she jumped on the battlefields to win one man’s interest when her heart was already pulsing faster when close by an other. Why I even felt more sorry for FredericKs, as he is the underdog of the book, but stairs do gracious even in his defeat.
« “I wanted Mason, but it’s Sebastian I need.” »
Until the very last chapter, I was on edge, worried by Grace and Seb inability to see past their own mask, then there was this love declaration scene, one of the most beautiful I have read since long. My heart had stopped to beat for some seconds, as I was keyed up by what I was reading. This was the perfect rendition of Sebastian’s personality, a knight with or without a shining armor, who would follow to the end of the earth the woman he loved.
A special mention for Rotherby, for a duke, he is quite an amazing character too, aware of his flaws and playing with them, his friendship with Sebastian was so refreshing, a peer with a commoner and this same lofty peer, a rake of a Duke, playing matchmaker for his friend.
Why I was so happy to learn he will be the next rake in this series, what a fabulous hero he will make.
A big fat 10 stars
I was granted through Edelweiss an advance copy by the publisher Avon. I had previously to it preordered my own copy.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
February 14, 2022
Theyre both kind of idiots but they're cute idiots. They're outcasts and friends first but when she helps him transform into a Rake, she can't help but fall more in love with him. To his surprise, he also grows feelings for her too and now he can't seem to piece together what is happening since she's had a crush on someone else for so long. There is miscommunication and lack of communication and it gets frustrating but i really liked it. This series is also very sex positive. Nice to see our heroine not too stupid of a virgin heroine.
December 28, 2019
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
“There’s no should when it comes to what we feel. There aren’t scientific laws when it comes to the human heart.”
With a little inspiration from The Breakfast Club, the Union of Rakes series introduces readers to five boys in detention, identified with similar-ish personalities from Breakfast Club movie characters. My Fake Rake stars “the brain”, Sebastian, and Lady Grace, the woman he has become friends with as they both frequent a library. Grace has always been an outsider as she gets labeled a bluestocking for her interest, love, and study of amphibians. She has a big crush on another member of the library, Mason, a naturalist and a plan gets concocted to have Sebastian play the rake hitting on Grace in public, thus drawing Mason's attention and waking him up to the idea that Grace is desirable. However, as fake relationships are wont to go in romanceland, Sebastian and Grace find their “fake” feelings are very real.
Reptile or human, you were guaranteed to make a cake out of yourself when mating season arrived. No, that wasn’t fair—to reptiles.
As a child of the '80s, I was very excited about the Breakfast Club inspiration but it turned out to be a very faint one. We get a brief prologue introducing the five boys but no scenes with them all together bonding. Only one of Sebastian's friends from the group is shown throughout the book, giving readers a hint of the emotional connection between those two but not the group, as the other three only make a brief appearance towards the end. I, personally, felt like this could have a been a fun theme strung out throughout the book and gave readers an intimate and male friendship angle. Grace has a couple scenes with a female friend and she seems to have bonded with her romance reading maid (I can't be the only one wanting her to have her own story!) but I felt secondary character emotional additives were mostly missing and the five detention boys bonding angle could have fulfilled this.
He was also poor as a churchmouse, which, unfortunately, meant that he hadn’t the financial means to court anyone.
When readers come into the scene, Sebastian already has feelings for Grace but he's not an heir and his father disapproves of his anthropological studies, making him feel that he could never support Lady Grace as she would deserve and keeping him from declaring his feelings. Grace has focused all her attention on Mason and though she occasionally sees Sebastian in more than a friend light, until she starts spending more time with him, she never consciously considers it. Grace's changing feelings for Sebastian started popping up pretty quickly but the acknowledge, push away, and “Oh, Sebastian could Never feel that way about Me” goes on for far too long and drags down the pace of the story. There was something external or missing outside forces that made this story a little dull. I liked the outline but there was some spark and emotion missing that made this hard to pick back up. The focus lasts too long on Mason when Grace keeps saying how much she likes Sebastian and the only thing keeping them apart is her thinking he couldn't possibly like her back, even when she points out times he seems jealous and they have intimate moments that should make someone who is brave in going against the grain and fairly self-aware, ask even covertly “Do you like me?”.
She realized at that moment that scholars didn’t just read, they knew things, naughty things.
Sebastian being an introvert and shy but working to be a rake provided some sweet moments but these two seemed to be forced into cross-purposes when in contrast their personalities probably would have figured it out much quicker. Sebastian and Grace's relationship with their family, Grace's friendship with her maid and other lady, and the group of five, felt too faint to gain any emotion from. Rothbury (one of the five detention club boys and possibly “the princess”) was the only secondary character that I felt pulled his weight and gave something to the story, his friendship with Sebastian helped flush Sebastian's character out.
Shouldn’t someone take an interest in her on the basis of who she was, rather than who they believed her to be? Yet that was precisely what she had done, and couldn’t help but feel some regret that she’d set her sights on someone who needed to be shown—by another man—that she was worthwhile.
The beginning and Breakfast Club inspiration excited me but the middle dragged and failed to animate the characters and their relationship, there were also some obvious points that the author wanted to make and when you personally agree with them, want them stated and they still feel jarring and take you out of the story, they probably weren't woven in naturally enough. The ending failed to recapture the spark I lost and while I think this series still holds promise, My Fake Rake was a slow start.
But, bloody hell, pretend or no, his kiss would haunt her to the end of her days.
“There’s no should when it comes to what we feel. There aren’t scientific laws when it comes to the human heart.”
With a little inspiration from The Breakfast Club, the Union of Rakes series introduces readers to five boys in detention, identified with similar-ish personalities from Breakfast Club movie characters. My Fake Rake stars “the brain”, Sebastian, and Lady Grace, the woman he has become friends with as they both frequent a library. Grace has always been an outsider as she gets labeled a bluestocking for her interest, love, and study of amphibians. She has a big crush on another member of the library, Mason, a naturalist and a plan gets concocted to have Sebastian play the rake hitting on Grace in public, thus drawing Mason's attention and waking him up to the idea that Grace is desirable. However, as fake relationships are wont to go in romanceland, Sebastian and Grace find their “fake” feelings are very real.
Reptile or human, you were guaranteed to make a cake out of yourself when mating season arrived. No, that wasn’t fair—to reptiles.
As a child of the '80s, I was very excited about the Breakfast Club inspiration but it turned out to be a very faint one. We get a brief prologue introducing the five boys but no scenes with them all together bonding. Only one of Sebastian's friends from the group is shown throughout the book, giving readers a hint of the emotional connection between those two but not the group, as the other three only make a brief appearance towards the end. I, personally, felt like this could have a been a fun theme strung out throughout the book and gave readers an intimate and male friendship angle. Grace has a couple scenes with a female friend and she seems to have bonded with her romance reading maid (I can't be the only one wanting her to have her own story!) but I felt secondary character emotional additives were mostly missing and the five detention boys bonding angle could have fulfilled this.
He was also poor as a churchmouse, which, unfortunately, meant that he hadn’t the financial means to court anyone.
When readers come into the scene, Sebastian already has feelings for Grace but he's not an heir and his father disapproves of his anthropological studies, making him feel that he could never support Lady Grace as she would deserve and keeping him from declaring his feelings. Grace has focused all her attention on Mason and though she occasionally sees Sebastian in more than a friend light, until she starts spending more time with him, she never consciously considers it. Grace's changing feelings for Sebastian started popping up pretty quickly but the acknowledge, push away, and “Oh, Sebastian could Never feel that way about Me” goes on for far too long and drags down the pace of the story. There was something external or missing outside forces that made this story a little dull. I liked the outline but there was some spark and emotion missing that made this hard to pick back up. The focus lasts too long on Mason when Grace keeps saying how much she likes Sebastian and the only thing keeping them apart is her thinking he couldn't possibly like her back, even when she points out times he seems jealous and they have intimate moments that should make someone who is brave in going against the grain and fairly self-aware, ask even covertly “Do you like me?”.
She realized at that moment that scholars didn’t just read, they knew things, naughty things.
Sebastian being an introvert and shy but working to be a rake provided some sweet moments but these two seemed to be forced into cross-purposes when in contrast their personalities probably would have figured it out much quicker. Sebastian and Grace's relationship with their family, Grace's friendship with her maid and other lady, and the group of five, felt too faint to gain any emotion from. Rothbury (one of the five detention club boys and possibly “the princess”) was the only secondary character that I felt pulled his weight and gave something to the story, his friendship with Sebastian helped flush Sebastian's character out.
Shouldn’t someone take an interest in her on the basis of who she was, rather than who they believed her to be? Yet that was precisely what she had done, and couldn’t help but feel some regret that she’d set her sights on someone who needed to be shown—by another man—that she was worthwhile.
The beginning and Breakfast Club inspiration excited me but the middle dragged and failed to animate the characters and their relationship, there were also some obvious points that the author wanted to make and when you personally agree with them, want them stated and they still feel jarring and take you out of the story, they probably weren't woven in naturally enough. The ending failed to recapture the spark I lost and while I think this series still holds promise, My Fake Rake was a slow start.
But, bloody hell, pretend or no, his kiss would haunt her to the end of her days.
November 14, 2020
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Sorry but I am absolutely fed up with writers imposing a 21st. Century, anachronistic perspective on history. This is one of the worst.
This book shows a regency world where dozens of women are trained scientists and get their papers published and form substantial parts of expeditionary forces undertaking research? A regency world where girls routinely have sex with no concern about pregnancy, reputation or anything else? A regency world where a mistress gives a maid half a crown (about £20 in today’s money) to disappear for a while? No way!
This book might well have worked If it had been set in the mid to late 19th century but as a Regency? I know we have to suspend disbelief but there is a limit.
The premise - Grace fancies Maddox and uses Seb to make him jealous - is not a new one. It's reasonably well executed and Seb is a worthy hero but Grace annoyed me and I got really bored with her. In fact, I simply was bored altogether because apart from the info-dumps about various subjects, there was nothing new in the way this story was developed.
This was not a terribly bad book; it just was not an awesome book. I found myself skimming through it. I guess if I hadn’t seen such glowing reviews for this writer, I might not have been so disappointed, but I did, and I was. Won't be bothering with any more of her books - just not my taste I'm afraid. We can't all like the same things!
Sorry but I am absolutely fed up with writers imposing a 21st. Century, anachronistic perspective on history. This is one of the worst.
This book shows a regency world where dozens of women are trained scientists and get their papers published and form substantial parts of expeditionary forces undertaking research? A regency world where girls routinely have sex with no concern about pregnancy, reputation or anything else? A regency world where a mistress gives a maid half a crown (about £20 in today’s money) to disappear for a while? No way!
This book might well have worked If it had been set in the mid to late 19th century but as a Regency? I know we have to suspend disbelief but there is a limit.
The premise - Grace fancies Maddox and uses Seb to make him jealous - is not a new one. It's reasonably well executed and Seb is a worthy hero but Grace annoyed me and I got really bored with her. In fact, I simply was bored altogether because apart from the info-dumps about various subjects, there was nothing new in the way this story was developed.
This was not a terribly bad book; it just was not an awesome book. I found myself skimming through it. I guess if I hadn’t seen such glowing reviews for this writer, I might not have been so disappointed, but I did, and I was. Won't be bothering with any more of her books - just not my taste I'm afraid. We can't all like the same things!
November 24, 2019
Two nerdy folks falling in love? A great idea for a historical romance! However, for me, this one fell flat. Sebastian and Grace were super adorable in their nerdiness and awkwardness, but when the heroine spends the bulk of the novel trying to win over some other dude it was really hard to believe in their romance. The happily ever after was assured, but the journey there was a tad boring because one character was intent on catching the eye of someone else and the other was intent on burying their own feelings. There was something about Sebastian's insistence that Grace get what she wanted irregardless of his own feelings that just didn't sit right. It smacked of disrespect for himself and his own feelings and quite frankly wasn't romantic. While I appreciated the fact that Grace did come to the realization that making Sebastian into a "fake rake" was wrong, it came much to late. So, this one just wasn't for me.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
February 26, 2024
⭐
1 star.
👎
DNF @ 35%.
Too anachronistic.
Inconsistencies.
Forced/stilted plot.
Too formulaic.
Repetitive.
It had some potential at the start of the story and could have been interesting with two nerdy/awkward main characters but the characterization just fell flat rather fast and both characters and story lacked depth and became boring.
No chemistry.
Too much miscommunication.
There was too much time and focus spent on the heroines interest in the other man and not enough time and focus spent on the romance and chemistry between the hero and the heroine.
The hero was too self-sacrificing.
1 star.
👎
DNF @ 35%.
Too anachronistic.
Inconsistencies.
Forced/stilted plot.
Too formulaic.
Repetitive.
It had some potential at the start of the story and could have been interesting with two nerdy/awkward main characters but the characterization just fell flat rather fast and both characters and story lacked depth and became boring.
No chemistry.
Too much miscommunication.
There was too much time and focus spent on the heroines interest in the other man and not enough time and focus spent on the romance and chemistry between the hero and the heroine.
The hero was too self-sacrificing.
May 12, 2023
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2023/...
Una lectura entretenida que se sale un poco de lo común en cuanto ambos son científicos. La trama está interesante, aunque no es nada nueva; sí que están los papeles intercambiados, aunque el final será el mismo
Mi problema ha sido que no he podido quitarme la sensación de que estaba leyendo una pareja moderna en una ambientación del siglo xix. Eso me suele pasar mucho con autoras de ahora, así que quizás es culpa mía,
Pero todo es demasiado relajada, y la parte final en la que, ante un hecho tan trascendental no tan siquiera para una joven de ahora, sino de la hija de un conde en pleno Xix y se quedan todos tan panchos, pues no sé... cosas como esa son las que me sacan de la historia
Pero por lo demás, una lectura entretenida.
Una lectura entretenida que se sale un poco de lo común en cuanto ambos son científicos. La trama está interesante, aunque no es nada nueva; sí que están los papeles intercambiados, aunque el final será el mismo
Mi problema ha sido que no he podido quitarme la sensación de que estaba leyendo una pareja moderna en una ambientación del siglo xix. Eso me suele pasar mucho con autoras de ahora, así que quizás es culpa mía,
Pero todo es demasiado relajada, y la parte final en la que, ante un hecho tan trascendental no tan siquiera para una joven de ahora, sino de la hija de un conde en pleno Xix y se quedan todos tan panchos, pues no sé... cosas como esa son las que me sacan de la historia
Pero por lo demás, una lectura entretenida.
December 26, 2019
One of the most absurd regency romances I have ever read. Had it been in the mid to late Victorian era, maybe I would've believed it's premise, a little. I re-read some Loretta Chase books this month and that makes it harder and harder to read these clunkers so badly written by this "new mode" of lazy regency writers like Leigh. The book is ridiculous, but I will say the duke who is a friend of the hero is scrumptious.
April 9, 2022
✨Mount me!✨
I’m normally not a friends to lovers person but these two were super cute and the passion was definitely still there. I loved watching them watch the other, realizing all the small things they loved and were attracted to. I also really appreciated that her parents were kind and didn’t tell Seb to fuck off for not being titled. It was sweet and unexpected!
I demand more sex! This was pretty good, and I really loved the friends to lovers here but I severely tuned out for an hour at the end bc they were separated for a long loooong time. I know Ms. Eva can write a scorcher and that’s what I was hoping for here. Seb was a shy little nugget who got a little dirty but I wanted him FILTHY. It was also super slow burn so that also intensified the need for a great great pay off when they finally banged it out.
On the flip side, I always love a virgin hero moment and that could have been SO FUN here: sex advice from Rothbury, lady of dubious quality instructions, the possibilities are simply endless.
I loved when her mom was like . . . that Adonis is your . . . friend??? Are you . . . okay? And when Rothbury was like “tell him” when Seb simply couldn’t believe he was attractive. On that note, his character description is my CATNIP. I’m picturing Chris Hemsworth in glasses and wow am I an artist. What a pretty picture. Glasses glasses gl-ass-es.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶🌶🌶5/5
I’m normally not a friends to lovers person but these two were super cute and the passion was definitely still there. I loved watching them watch the other, realizing all the small things they loved and were attracted to. I also really appreciated that her parents were kind and didn’t tell Seb to fuck off for not being titled. It was sweet and unexpected!
I demand more sex! This was pretty good, and I really loved the friends to lovers here but I severely tuned out for an hour at the end bc they were separated for a long loooong time. I know Ms. Eva can write a scorcher and that’s what I was hoping for here. Seb was a shy little nugget who got a little dirty but I wanted him FILTHY. It was also super slow burn so that also intensified the need for a great great pay off when they finally banged it out.
On the flip side, I always love a virgin hero moment and that could have been SO FUN here: sex advice from Rothbury, lady of dubious quality instructions, the possibilities are simply endless.
I loved when her mom was like . . . that Adonis is your . . . friend??? Are you . . . okay? And when Rothbury was like “tell him” when Seb simply couldn’t believe he was attractive. On that note, his character description is my CATNIP. I’m picturing Chris Hemsworth in glasses and wow am I an artist. What a pretty picture. Glasses glasses gl-ass-es.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶🌶🌶5/5
November 3, 2019
4.5 stars
Sebastian was an anthropologist, basically penniless, even though his dad owned a profitable iron works factory. He was a total nerd, living on mutton and threadbare, yet functional clothes, spending his limited funds on books-I loved him! His stammer and anxiousness in new situations had me feeling for him, but it also presented him as a regular, likable fellow. Seb had a unique collection of steadfast friends from his school days, which served him well when he really needed help pulling off the transformation of his lifetime-how to become a rake. All in order for his closest friend, Lady Grace, to win the attentions of another man.
Oy, the things you do for a friend...
Grace was an herpetologist. A unique job for a Lady, I thought, and much respect for her, because slimy reptiles and amphibians make me shudder just thinking about them:) She was sweet, witty with sharp intelligence, and a little odd, but she was happy as is. Confidence can take you pretty far and Grace knew where she wanted to be. When she finds herself in a pickle to get married, she decides to enlist Seb in a quack scheme to make another man interested in her, not realizing the one Grace really needs, not wants, has been in front of her all along.
Love is truly blind people...
I was excited to read My Fake Rake when I caught a look at the cover and blurb, however, I was doubly excited after hearing Eva Leigh talk about the premise behind the Union of the Rakes series-1980’s classic movies! Maybe I’m dating myself, but these days....well, they don’t make movies like they used to. The Breakfast Club tops my list of all-time must-watch films, so when I learned the Regency would mash with The Breakfast Club.... laughs, shenanigans, and a strong friends to lovers romance kept me entertained from beginning to end! This is a strong start to what looks like a fabulous series and I am looking forward to The Duke of Rotherby’s tale!
I received an advanced reader copy and this is my honest review.
Sebastian was an anthropologist, basically penniless, even though his dad owned a profitable iron works factory. He was a total nerd, living on mutton and threadbare, yet functional clothes, spending his limited funds on books-I loved him! His stammer and anxiousness in new situations had me feeling for him, but it also presented him as a regular, likable fellow. Seb had a unique collection of steadfast friends from his school days, which served him well when he really needed help pulling off the transformation of his lifetime-how to become a rake. All in order for his closest friend, Lady Grace, to win the attentions of another man.
Oy, the things you do for a friend...
Grace was an herpetologist. A unique job for a Lady, I thought, and much respect for her, because slimy reptiles and amphibians make me shudder just thinking about them:) She was sweet, witty with sharp intelligence, and a little odd, but she was happy as is. Confidence can take you pretty far and Grace knew where she wanted to be. When she finds herself in a pickle to get married, she decides to enlist Seb in a quack scheme to make another man interested in her, not realizing the one Grace really needs, not wants, has been in front of her all along.
Love is truly blind people...
I was excited to read My Fake Rake when I caught a look at the cover and blurb, however, I was doubly excited after hearing Eva Leigh talk about the premise behind the Union of the Rakes series-1980’s classic movies! Maybe I’m dating myself, but these days....well, they don’t make movies like they used to. The Breakfast Club tops my list of all-time must-watch films, so when I learned the Regency would mash with The Breakfast Club.... laughs, shenanigans, and a strong friends to lovers romance kept me entertained from beginning to end! This is a strong start to what looks like a fabulous series and I am looking forward to The Duke of Rotherby’s tale!
I received an advanced reader copy and this is my honest review.
December 3, 2020
Soo... I'm conflicted about this novel.
There was a lot that I liked and a lot that I didn't like.
Positives:
Great friendship between the H and h.
Unique jobs for both of them
Glow up scene for the H instead of the h.
She is seeing him in a new light.
Steamy sex scene in a barn (oh lalala!)
The Hero has social anxiety. Great rep for
Things I didn't care for so much:
Misunderstanding trope was over blown.
Hero did not stand up and say what he wanted. He made her make all the moves. That is sweet some times to let the woman have the initiative. But cinnamon roll does not equal weak, or scared, or a push over.
The grand gesture was too little too late for me. The Hero ran away first! Like he never made his feelings known or risked anything.
2 shy people can still make it work without al of this in between them.
At the end of the day, this story just wasn't for me. I love having all different kinds of characters in the books I read, but I still have kinds I prefer more than others. The Hero just didn't come up to scratch for me. He had the potential to do it, but at some point his shyness because hurtful to the heroine and that's where it was too much for me.
I can see why this is loved and I do want to read the next one very soon. Because I have heard great things.
But its a 3/5 stars for me. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I forget it as soon as I turn away.
There was a lot that I liked and a lot that I didn't like.
Positives:
Great friendship between the H and h.
Unique jobs for both of them
Glow up scene for the H instead of the h.
She is seeing him in a new light.
Steamy sex scene in a barn (oh lalala!)
The Hero has social anxiety. Great rep for
Things I didn't care for so much:
Misunderstanding trope was over blown.
Hero did not stand up and say what he wanted. He made her make all the moves. That is sweet some times to let the woman have the initiative. But cinnamon roll does not equal weak, or scared, or a push over.
The grand gesture was too little too late for me. The Hero ran away first! Like he never made his feelings known or risked anything.
2 shy people can still make it work without al of this in between them.
At the end of the day, this story just wasn't for me. I love having all different kinds of characters in the books I read, but I still have kinds I prefer more than others. The Hero just didn't come up to scratch for me. He had the potential to do it, but at some point his shyness because hurtful to the heroine and that's where it was too much for me.
I can see why this is loved and I do want to read the next one very soon. Because I have heard great things.
But its a 3/5 stars for me. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I forget it as soon as I turn away.
November 17, 2019
3.5 stars
I’m always on the lookout for a new author or series and I absolutely loved this premise.
I really liked Grace and Sebastian. They’re both smart and good people. I enjoyed their friendship and how they bonded over science and the library. The friends of Grace and Sebastian are fun and even though Jane is already married, I’m excited to see that the next book is Rotherby’s story.
Plot wise, it was good. There’s a lot of inner monologue and pining away for the other. I wanted more flirting and banter between them. Even though the romance felt like it was on the back burner, I loved the way these two respected each other. The grand gesture is fantastic, but I definitely could have done with more from the ending and epilogue.
Overall, it was the characters who kept me reading and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I’m always on the lookout for a new author or series and I absolutely loved this premise.
I really liked Grace and Sebastian. They’re both smart and good people. I enjoyed their friendship and how they bonded over science and the library. The friends of Grace and Sebastian are fun and even though Jane is already married, I’m excited to see that the next book is Rotherby’s story.
Plot wise, it was good. There’s a lot of inner monologue and pining away for the other. I wanted more flirting and banter between them. Even though the romance felt like it was on the back burner, I loved the way these two respected each other. The grand gesture is fantastic, but I definitely could have done with more from the ending and epilogue.
Overall, it was the characters who kept me reading and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
November 28, 2019
Sebastian Holloway has secretly adored Lady Grace Wyatt ever since sharing a pencil with her in the library they both frequent. But Sebastian is merely a poor scholar with no prospects, and Lady Grace is on a mission to make a famed naturalist she wants to wed notice her, a plan that includes molding Sebastian into a rake of the first order. But as these two bookish souls spend more and more time together, they realize that that happiness and true love may be right under their bespactacled noses.
I had a grand time watching these two nerds blushingly fall in love with each other and I cannot wait to read more in this series! There are a lot of great lines, but I'll wait until I see a finished copy before quoting.
I received a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.
I had a grand time watching these two nerds blushingly fall in love with each other and I cannot wait to read more in this series! There are a lot of great lines, but I'll wait until I see a finished copy before quoting.
I received a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.
April 4, 2020
“Jane looped her arm through Grace's. "Come. Let us seek out two things that never fall short of our expectations."
"Books and cakes?"
"Precisely.”
Entertaining Regency romance where it is the hero who transforms himself from shy, bookish, anthropologist into charming rake - all in order to assist his friend, the scientifically minded heroine, catch the eye of a celebrated naturalist! Add to this the help of a Duke with attitude... Yes, this is hilarious! The last quarter could have been abbreviated, or changed, but it was still a lot of fun - forgot about Real Life for a few hours :O)
"Books and cakes?"
"Precisely.”
Entertaining Regency romance where it is the hero who transforms himself from shy, bookish, anthropologist into charming rake - all in order to assist his friend, the scientifically minded heroine, catch the eye of a celebrated naturalist! Add to this the help of a Duke with attitude... Yes, this is hilarious! The last quarter could have been abbreviated, or changed, but it was still a lot of fun - forgot about Real Life for a few hours :O)
December 30, 2020
SERIES: Union of Rakes.. book one
GENRE: historical romance
TROPES: fake dating, friends to lovers
CLIFFHANGER: no
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: social anxiety
HOTTIE METER: 3
SONGS: Russell Dickerson - Yours
Overall, this was very cute!
I didn't even mind the miscommunication between hero and heroine. They can be insufferable but understandable. I loved the writing, subtle humor, and side characters.
I will read book two immediately.
GENRE: historical romance
TROPES: fake dating, friends to lovers
CLIFFHANGER: no
TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: social anxiety
HOTTIE METER: 3
SONGS: Russell Dickerson - Yours
Overall, this was very cute!
I didn't even mind the miscommunication between hero and heroine. They can be insufferable but understandable. I loved the writing, subtle humor, and side characters.
I will read book two immediately.
August 27, 2019
I was lucky enough to read this gem early... and, oh, my goodness... adorable! And soooo sexy...
November 25, 2019
3.5 stars rounded to 4
This is my first Eva Leigh novel. Can I just say I love her covers? I don't like the font on this one, but I feel like the couple fits the characters so well.
This book is the first book in her new series Union of the Rakes. Apparently this is loosely based on the movie The Breakfast Club, which I have never seen and if I have I can't remember. A group of friends is formed in the prologue, and I'm assuming they will each have their own story in the series.
Grace is our heroine. She's a scientist, a herpetologist, to be exact. She adores the lives of reptiles and amphibians. She spends much of her time at the library researching, or in the field exploring. She's set her sights on fellow scientist Mason Fredericks as a husband. She ropes her good friend Sebastian Holloway, fellow scientist and researcher of anthropology to assist her in appearing desirable and catching his attention.
Sebastian is our hero. And he's not your usual hero. Hes bespectacled and shy, he clams up in social situations and suffers from anxiety. It's almost your usual heroine ugly duckling story, yet the hero is the duckling. Sebastian's friend, the Duke of Rotherby, helps transform him in a fake rake, so that his attention to Grace with show her in a marriageable light.
Sebastian is definitely not an alpha hero. I'm not sure if that makes him beta or gamma, or whatever, but he seems content to let Grace take the lead. And she does, putting him through the ringer with becoming her fake rake.
I think you would enjoy this book if
-You want a change of hero, or aren't into alpha males
-You love the friends to lovers trope
-You prefer a slow burn story
-You want a lighter story with a few laughs and fun
I can't say I loved this story. I always struggle when there is another 'love interest' in the book and this book just drug on and on with her thinking about Fredericks, yet noticing Sebastian, but the fact that Fredericks still gave her butterflies when he wasn't even the hero, made me want to slap her. I guess it was showing how her feelings shifted from seeing Sebastian as nothing but a friend to more, but the fast that it took her over half the book to realize it annoyed me.
Sebastian isn't the typical kind of hero I like. And while he didn't drive me crazy, I guess I was left wanting more from him in some parts. I was disappointed in the way he acted and his lack of drive in pursuing Grace. He really does amazing in some scenes. I'll admit the first sex scene blew me out of the water, because I was expecting not much after how I felt the first 70% of the book. And I loved him at the end when he finally came to his senses and realized he needed to tell Grace how he felt.
This book isn't particularly steamy. There's 1 kiss and 2 sex scenes (I think). The first sex scene was AMAZING. I loved it. The 2nd was at the very end of the book and for some reason I don't love them there, just a personal preference. But it was still great. I think she has a lot of feels in those scenes and they gripped me even though I was less than in love with a lot of the rest of the book.
There is a lot to love about this book. I can tell Eva is a fabulous writer. The flow was great, she's funny, witty, the sex was hot. She does use the f word infrequently if you're sensitive to that. It doesn't cross into vulgar or anything. I would 100% try her again and plan to. I think this was just a character disconnect for me and I'm still not sure friends to lovers is my favorite trope. But I do recommend this book, I think it will be enjoyed by many. The Duke of Rotherby will have the next story in the series and I will definitely be trying that book. I think he was my favorite character in here.
This is my first Eva Leigh novel. Can I just say I love her covers? I don't like the font on this one, but I feel like the couple fits the characters so well.
This book is the first book in her new series Union of the Rakes. Apparently this is loosely based on the movie The Breakfast Club, which I have never seen and if I have I can't remember. A group of friends is formed in the prologue, and I'm assuming they will each have their own story in the series.
Grace is our heroine. She's a scientist, a herpetologist, to be exact. She adores the lives of reptiles and amphibians. She spends much of her time at the library researching, or in the field exploring. She's set her sights on fellow scientist Mason Fredericks as a husband. She ropes her good friend Sebastian Holloway, fellow scientist and researcher of anthropology to assist her in appearing desirable and catching his attention.
Sebastian is our hero. And he's not your usual hero. Hes bespectacled and shy, he clams up in social situations and suffers from anxiety. It's almost your usual heroine ugly duckling story, yet the hero is the duckling. Sebastian's friend, the Duke of Rotherby, helps transform him in a fake rake, so that his attention to Grace with show her in a marriageable light.
Sebastian is definitely not an alpha hero. I'm not sure if that makes him beta or gamma, or whatever, but he seems content to let Grace take the lead. And she does, putting him through the ringer with becoming her fake rake.
I think you would enjoy this book if
-You want a change of hero, or aren't into alpha males
-You love the friends to lovers trope
-You prefer a slow burn story
-You want a lighter story with a few laughs and fun
I can't say I loved this story. I always struggle when there is another 'love interest' in the book and this book just drug on and on with her thinking about Fredericks, yet noticing Sebastian, but the fact that Fredericks still gave her butterflies when he wasn't even the hero, made me want to slap her. I guess it was showing how her feelings shifted from seeing Sebastian as nothing but a friend to more, but the fast that it took her over half the book to realize it annoyed me.
Sebastian isn't the typical kind of hero I like. And while he didn't drive me crazy, I guess I was left wanting more from him in some parts. I was disappointed in the way he acted and his lack of drive in pursuing Grace. He really does amazing in some scenes. I'll admit the first sex scene blew me out of the water, because I was expecting not much after how I felt the first 70% of the book. And I loved him at the end when he finally came to his senses and realized he needed to tell Grace how he felt.
This book isn't particularly steamy. There's 1 kiss and 2 sex scenes (I think). The first sex scene was AMAZING. I loved it. The 2nd was at the very end of the book and for some reason I don't love them there, just a personal preference. But it was still great. I think she has a lot of feels in those scenes and they gripped me even though I was less than in love with a lot of the rest of the book.
There is a lot to love about this book. I can tell Eva is a fabulous writer. The flow was great, she's funny, witty, the sex was hot. She does use the f word infrequently if you're sensitive to that. It doesn't cross into vulgar or anything. I would 100% try her again and plan to. I think this was just a character disconnect for me and I'm still not sure friends to lovers is my favorite trope. But I do recommend this book, I think it will be enjoyed by many. The Duke of Rotherby will have the next story in the series and I will definitely be trying that book. I think he was my favorite character in here.
December 4, 2019
DNF at 25%
A bluestocking zoologist/daughter of an earl asks a friend—a male anthropologist from a wealthy, but not titled, family—to pretend to be a "rake" so that his attentions to her at social events will lead another male scientist to whom she is attracted to pay attention to her. "Rake" here means someone who appears to be a seductive bad boy, but who doesn't have the reputation for actually sexually ruining any innocent women; this kind of rake is "the darling of the ton," rather than someone society eschews. Of course, the shy anthropologist, who has been crushing on the bluestocking for years, agrees. Amusing, if silly, scenes ensue, as readers know far earlier than either protagonist does that the two are meant for one another.
So many readers recommend Leigh for her feminist sensibilities, and as this book is the start of a new series, I thought I would give it a try, despite having not enjoyed previous books by this author. But this one, too, was a miss for me. I personally dislike historical romances that, while accurate in many of their historical details, have their protagonists espousing utterly modern, progressive attitudes, with no sense that such attitudes would have been radical for the times, especially among the titled and wealthy. I'm not suggesting that no one at the time would have held such opinions, but I am frustrated by authors who ignore how such opinions would have put their holders beyond the social pale. Because by portraying such attitudes as commonplace, or not worthy of much notice, the courage it took for those who actually did hold such attitudes in the past gets erased.
Here are a few examples:
"The best part about the library was its policy of admitting anyone, male or female, white or black, young or aged, impoverished or wealthy, provided that the person seeking entrance displayed a genuine love of the sciences." (Kindle Loc 156)
"Tobacco serves a ceremonial and spiritual purpose for many tribes in the Americas. If I used it, it would be like stealing from them."
To his relief, she didn't look upset or irritated by his refusal. "Of course." She added with a pained expression, "Most commercial tobacco crops are tended and harvested by slaves. It's... repugnant." (961)
"Clearly... Linnaeus's biases shaped what ought to be perfectly objective science."
"What's perfectly objective?" Grace asked.... "Anyone who claims there is such a thing as objective truth is wrong." (1349)
"My gut churns when I read Westerners' accounts of other societies.... Many of them drip with a sense of cultural and racial superiority—and they twist science to defense abhorrent ideas and practices." (1349)
She was always torn about coming to the British Museum—it held such vast repositories of knowledge, yet everything came at a price. Even the friezes from the Parthenon had been ripped from their homeland and brought to England. It hardly seemed right.
Did Sebastian ever come here? Surely he'd find exhibits of interest—but maybe he, too, thought the museum to be a highly problematic space. (1864)
"I became aware of the harmful effects of humanity on the natural world. I became determined to study it so that everyone can learn its significance." (2138)
There may be a positive side to including current-day progressive values in historical romance: it may make readers more amenable to such values. But for me, such anachronistic values take me right out of the story.
A bluestocking zoologist/daughter of an earl asks a friend—a male anthropologist from a wealthy, but not titled, family—to pretend to be a "rake" so that his attentions to her at social events will lead another male scientist to whom she is attracted to pay attention to her. "Rake" here means someone who appears to be a seductive bad boy, but who doesn't have the reputation for actually sexually ruining any innocent women; this kind of rake is "the darling of the ton," rather than someone society eschews. Of course, the shy anthropologist, who has been crushing on the bluestocking for years, agrees. Amusing, if silly, scenes ensue, as readers know far earlier than either protagonist does that the two are meant for one another.
So many readers recommend Leigh for her feminist sensibilities, and as this book is the start of a new series, I thought I would give it a try, despite having not enjoyed previous books by this author. But this one, too, was a miss for me. I personally dislike historical romances that, while accurate in many of their historical details, have their protagonists espousing utterly modern, progressive attitudes, with no sense that such attitudes would have been radical for the times, especially among the titled and wealthy. I'm not suggesting that no one at the time would have held such opinions, but I am frustrated by authors who ignore how such opinions would have put their holders beyond the social pale. Because by portraying such attitudes as commonplace, or not worthy of much notice, the courage it took for those who actually did hold such attitudes in the past gets erased.
Here are a few examples:
"The best part about the library was its policy of admitting anyone, male or female, white or black, young or aged, impoverished or wealthy, provided that the person seeking entrance displayed a genuine love of the sciences." (Kindle Loc 156)
"Tobacco serves a ceremonial and spiritual purpose for many tribes in the Americas. If I used it, it would be like stealing from them."
To his relief, she didn't look upset or irritated by his refusal. "Of course." She added with a pained expression, "Most commercial tobacco crops are tended and harvested by slaves. It's... repugnant." (961)
"Clearly... Linnaeus's biases shaped what ought to be perfectly objective science."
"What's perfectly objective?" Grace asked.... "Anyone who claims there is such a thing as objective truth is wrong." (1349)
"My gut churns when I read Westerners' accounts of other societies.... Many of them drip with a sense of cultural and racial superiority—and they twist science to defense abhorrent ideas and practices." (1349)
She was always torn about coming to the British Museum—it held such vast repositories of knowledge, yet everything came at a price. Even the friezes from the Parthenon had been ripped from their homeland and brought to England. It hardly seemed right.
Did Sebastian ever come here? Surely he'd find exhibits of interest—but maybe he, too, thought the museum to be a highly problematic space. (1864)
"I became aware of the harmful effects of humanity on the natural world. I became determined to study it so that everyone can learn its significance." (2138)
There may be a positive side to including current-day progressive values in historical romance: it may make readers more amenable to such values. But for me, such anachronistic values take me right out of the story.
Read
August 26, 2021DNF around 45% cus it was due back at the library and I wasn’t that into the couple. Not bad, just didn’t draw me in. Disappointing cus I loved one of Leigh’s other books. Womp.
June 8, 2022
Trigger warnings: social anxiety
7/6/2022
On reread, I'm bumping this up to 5 stars. I'm aware this isn't a super popular opinion, but there's something about this book that just hits exactly right for me and I giggled my way through this and had a truly delightful time.
9/2/2020
4.5 stars
This was a fucking delight from start to finish. I mean, it's historical fiction with two nerdy scientist best friend leads who a) turn him into a rake and b) subsequently fake date in order for her to attract the attention of the scientist she's decided is her dream guy. Except that
I loved all the characters. I cracked up multiple times while reading this. The writing was fun. And there's a hella cool, super nerdy library that's managed by a Nigerian guy. In the Regency period. MOAR PLS.
7/6/2022
On reread, I'm bumping this up to 5 stars. I'm aware this isn't a super popular opinion, but there's something about this book that just hits exactly right for me and I giggled my way through this and had a truly delightful time.
9/2/2020
4.5 stars
This was a fucking delight from start to finish. I mean, it's historical fiction with two nerdy scientist best friend leads who a) turn him into a rake and b) subsequently fake date in order for her to attract the attention of the scientist she's decided is her dream guy. Except that
I loved all the characters. I cracked up multiple times while reading this. The writing was fun. And there's a hella cool, super nerdy library that's managed by a Nigerian guy. In the Regency period. MOAR PLS.
December 9, 2019
Lady Grace Wyatt studies reptilese and amphibians. Even if it doesn't make her popular in the eye of the ton, she's confident in herself and is okay with being a wallflower.
Sebastian Holloway is an anthropologist. He comes from a wealthy family but he have no fortune, since he decided to pursued his own studies and doing what he loves. He's penniless and not the most suave when it comes to social interaction. At least he have great friends that he met at Eton years ago.
Sebastian also have Grace as a friend. The two of them met in a library 4 years ago and they've been meeting from time to time ever since. She might have hope for something more at the beginning but he never let on that he saw her differently than as a friend or colleague and now she have a crush on an other man. So when Grace confide in him that her father, who's not going well, wants her to marry, but that the man she wants doesn't see her like she wants to, Sebastian, in his wisdow observations of the human nature, offer to transform himself or at least, fake at being a rake to court her and makes the other man take an interest in her. But both are inexperience with rakehood so one of Sebastien's friend, the Duke of Rotherby, will come to their aid. It's all a good plan until Grace begin to realize that maybe Sebastian is the one she really needs and wants.
I heard that the premise for the book or at least some inspiration came from 80's rom com and difficult not to think about Breakfast Club when you read the prologue. It's so rare we get to read moments at Eton. Usually when there's talk about attending, it's a mention or two about it by the characters so it made me happy to witness it and it was so great that I wished the prologue was longer. If I was living in London in 1817 (thank God I wasn't!), I think me and Grace would have been friends. If nerdy heroes are your Kryptonite, you'll be pleased with Sebastian! He totally charmed me anyway.
Sebastian Holloway is an anthropologist. He comes from a wealthy family but he have no fortune, since he decided to pursued his own studies and doing what he loves. He's penniless and not the most suave when it comes to social interaction. At least he have great friends that he met at Eton years ago.
Sebastian also have Grace as a friend. The two of them met in a library 4 years ago and they've been meeting from time to time ever since. She might have hope for something more at the beginning but he never let on that he saw her differently than as a friend or colleague and now she have a crush on an other man. So when Grace confide in him that her father, who's not going well, wants her to marry, but that the man she wants doesn't see her like she wants to, Sebastian, in his wisdow observations of the human nature, offer to transform himself or at least, fake at being a rake to court her and makes the other man take an interest in her. But both are inexperience with rakehood so one of Sebastien's friend, the Duke of Rotherby, will come to their aid. It's all a good plan until Grace begin to realize that maybe Sebastian is the one she really needs and wants.
I heard that the premise for the book or at least some inspiration came from 80's rom com and difficult not to think about Breakfast Club when you read the prologue. It's so rare we get to read moments at Eton. Usually when there's talk about attending, it's a mention or two about it by the characters so it made me happy to witness it and it was so great that I wished the prologue was longer. If I was living in London in 1817 (thank God I wasn't!), I think me and Grace would have been friends. If nerdy heroes are your Kryptonite, you'll be pleased with Sebastian! He totally charmed me anyway.
January 20, 2022
TWO AND HALF STARS
Unfortunately, this story didn't hold my attention. I couldn’t connect with the characters.
Unfortunately, this story didn't hold my attention. I couldn’t connect with the characters.
Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Zara Hampton-Brown
Length: 10H 06M
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