The Rake Mistake

The Wild Wynchesters #1.5

by Erica Ridley

Enjoy a Regency-set comedic caper featuring a book club of meddling spinsters and an assist by a very good dog.

The closest Miss Philippa York has ever come to adventure is her Thursday afternoon reading circle with her fellow bluestockings of the beau monde. That is, until her bosom friend allows a handsome rake to steal a kiss… and he takes her friend’s jewels instead!

With the help of the Wild Wynchesters—a uniquely talented family of caper-committing siblings who don’t let “laws” stop them from righting wrongs—Philippa and her club of delightfully bookish spinsters take on the most celebrated rake of the ton.

They’re clever. He’s a cad. To save the day, all they need to pull off is one little heist…

PREQUEL THE PERKS OF LOVING A WALLFLOWER

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

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2021

About the author

Get freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?

In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!

Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was a delight! Set before book 2 of the Wild Wynchesters series, it's a caper involving a rake and a lost hairpin with the Wynchesters on the case and Phillipa joining in. If you've read The Perks of Loving A Wallflower it's especially fun to see some of these early interactions. And the Wynchester siblings are all a joy to read. I love the idea of these mini-adventures set with the same characters and can't wait for more in the series! Rompy historical romance with a diverse cast of characters is at its best in this series. I received a copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Juliette Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC! The Rake Mistake is already out for everyone to read!

This was a very cute and quick Regency novella. It’s really just about a missing hairpin, but the writing is witty, the characters are really likeable and the story is actually very funny and entertaining. Definitely nice for people who appreciate(d) the Bridgerton-books or anything Regency. I’ll be picking up part two of The Heist Club as well.

A recommendation for when you need a nice, light and quick read that’s actually funny!

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rake Mistake by Erica Ridley
The Wild Wynchesters series #1.5. Historical romance novella. Best read in series order.
A jeweled and engraved hairpin is stolen by a Rake and the scandal sheets threaten to completely destroy the woman’s reputation. The Wynchesters are on the case and Miss Philippa York refuses to be left out of the adventure of finding the pin and the why of it all.

An entertaining regency romp with Philippi defying her mother’s manipulation and following the Wynchesters to uncover the cad and save the damsel. Chloe, Elizabeth, Great Aunt Wynchester, Jacob, Graham and Zeus are on the case.
Just a filler between books, pushing Philippi to the center in preparation for series book #2. Fun to read. Next book - The Perks of Loving a Wallflower.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in love with all the ladies in the Heist Club and need more heists with them and the Wynchesters. It's now time for the biggest heist: getting Philippa away from her mother.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The Rake Mistake was a delightful read featuring a heist that sets up the romance to come in the next full-length Wild Wynchesters book, The Perks of Loving a Wallflower.

Miss Philippa York looks forward to her Thursday afternoon book club meeting every week. The reading circle is the closest thing that Philippa and her fellow bluestockings get to an adventure. That is until one of them allows a rake to steal a kiss only for her jewels to be stolen instead. With the help of the Wild Wynchesters, Philippa and her friends stage a heist to steal back the jewels before one of their own is implicated in a scandal.

The Rake Mistake was a fun read from start to finish and not at all what I was expecting from the story. When one of the reading circle members is duped by a rake, the group immediately makes a plan to steal back what was stolen to help avoid a scandal. As the Duchess of Faircliffe, Chloe Wynchester, is part of the circle she offers her family's help. We get to see a number of the Wynchesters throughout the story which I was happy about. Each family member is skilled in a different area, so it was great to see them all play out their roles during the heist. Philippa also took a much more active role than I was expecting and the author managed to pull off quite a bit of character development for Philippa in such a short story. My one complaint is that I felt like the bad guy got off a bit too easily and I wish there had been more consequences for him.

Just as a FYI while this is part of a historical romance series, there's no actual romance in this novella although we do get a brief glimpse of the couple to come in the next book The Perks of Loving a Wallflower.

Overall The Rake Mistake was a fun read and I hope the author does more stories about the various members of the Heist Club.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
The closest Miss Philippa York has ever come to adventure is her Thursday afternoon reading circle with her fellow bluestockings of the beau monde. That is, until her bosom friend allows a handsome rake to steal a kiss… and he takes her friend’s jewels instead! With the help of the Wild Wynchesters—a uniquely talented family of caper-committing siblings who don’t let “laws” stop them from righting wrongs—Philippa and her club of delightfully bookish spinsters take on the most celebrated rake of the ton. They’re clever. He’s a cad. To save the day, all they need to pull off is one little heist…
A very well written book which is a spin off from the Wild Wynchesters series, it was an absolute delight & I think I smiled practically all the way through. I read it in a sitting. Philippa & her Heist Club (not that there is a name!) are charming & all the different personalities were a joy, I even liked Philippa’s complaining mother. A captivating read which I read in a sitting
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, lovely little story. Most entertaining. I love the Wynchester family, so brainy and competent - and what a surprise. 5☆

[Annette Drewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun filled Regency romance. The characters are well-developed, and their antics encourage the reader to laugh out loud. A stolen hairclip, a rake, a reading group and the Wynchester family’s skills, work together to make this a very enjoyable story.
I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

For me, this wasn't nearly as good as the full books so far in this series. I didn't feel as gripped or as excited by it and got a little bored at times which is a shame as I love the full length books. I think I will stick to the full novels and leave the novellas from now on.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun with this, it was wonderful seeing Philippa again! And watching the heist club help right a horrible wrong. And I loved watching her interact with the Wynchesters... Especially a special Wynchester! I now want to go re-read The Perks of Loving a Wallflower!!

[Peter DeWolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philippa, freed, by Chloe, from having to marry the Duke, is still continually beset by her mother to marry a titled man. She wants nothing to do with that; she is a bluestocking (an educated literary woman) and that is all she wants out of life, thank you very much. Fortunately, she still has her reading circle of like-minded women - which includes Chloe (now a Duchess) and Great-Aunt Wynchester (who is not quite as she seems). When Gracie comes in to a meeting in tears because the rakish Lord Rotherham had apparently stolen her (borrowed from her sister) hairpin - and scandal will ruin her sister if she can't get it back - what can be done?

Fortunately, the Wynchesters are willing and able to help - and the reading circle is also full of intelligent and talented young women.

Another hilarious and delightful book. The Wynchesters shine, as always, and Philippa gets to see them in action as a team - and yearns to have them as friends and participate in their adventures. Philippa and the whole reading circle are useful in the caper and are delighted at their roles. I enjoyed getting to know each them a lot better in this book.

The book is very funny. A running joke is that all the ladies keep trying to come up with a name for their reading circle - which Philippa always shoots down. End of caper, the reading circle hopes to continue working with the Wynchesters:

“We prefer to help those who have no other recourse,” Chloe explained.

“And we,” said Sybil, “are here to help you help them every step of the way. The first rule of Heist Club is—”

“Stop talking about Heist Club.” Philippa threw up her hands. “That is the only rule.”

This book perfectly set up The Perks of Loving a Wallflower (The Wild Wynchesters #2) - which was the first I read. I may have to immediately reread it.

So much fun.

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“First rule of Wynchester,” said Chloe. “Do it anyway.”

Okay, this was freaking adorable; I liked it a fair bit more than the first novella in this series. It follows one of the heroines of the next book (and if you squint you'll spot the other heroine! :D) and she and her little society of bluestockings as they enlist the help of the Wynchesters to track down a piece of stolen jewellery. I love a group of Badly Behaved Women, and I really liked the dynamic of Phillipa's little reading group and all their banter with each other. The recurring bit about the name of the group was genuinely funny to me; I loved it. The hijinks surrounding their quest to bring this rake to justice were really engaging. All in all: great set up for the next book, and I'm super excited for Phillipa and Tommy's story. <3

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novella following those wild Wynchesters and their friends as they try to find a missing hair pin and ultimately save the day. I definitely think going in knowing the characters will help, this follows The Duke Heist and is also a prequel for The Perks of Loving a Wallflower. This was a fun comedic romp, filled with very quick banter and lots of happenings. I just wasn’t as invested in Phillipa as a character as I am for the Wynchesters and their shenanigans.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Trianna/Treereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novellas in this series are fun, but I miss the romance found in the full length novels.

If you plan on reading book two in this series, I would recommend this one.

[eyes.2c · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable tale that works within the Wid Wynchesters arc. I didn’t realize how much Philippa York had to keep coming up with plans to escape her mother

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rake Mistake by Erica Ridley
Heist Club #1

What a fun way to spend the day! I smiled a LOT as I read this little story. Many books are labeled romantic comedy t hat don’t even get a hint of a smile from me while I read them but this one…was delightful and had me smiling often! I am not sure but think The Duke Heist probably was a prequel to this prequel, but both can be read as standalone stories.

What I liked:
* Phillipa: independent, bluestocking, only child of ambitious social climbing mama, doesn’t want to marry, prefers books and her reading circle to men or the idea of marriage. Can’t wait to read more about her…and said the same thing in my review of The Duke Heist.
* The Wynchester siblings: introduced in The Duke Heist and I do want to hear more about all six of them.
* The reading circle…that seems to be nameless though everyone has a name for it. A group of women that are intrigued and intriguing…will they find happily ever after(s) too?
* Great-Aunt Wynchester: chuckling as I type. *I* know who she is and can’t wait till Phillipa finds out who she is, too.
* The plot, writing, characters…all of it.
* The situations that made me laugh…like two women in armoire or the way Great-Aunt Wynchester managed to carry found objects without anyone knowing…so many times I just chuckled or smiled because what I was reading made me happy.
* The interactions and dialogue of the reading circle.
* Knowing that there will be another book in this series soon :)

What I didn’t like:
* Phillipa’s mother: a right pain in the patoot. I wanted to sit her down and give her a talking to more than once.
* That Phillipa couldn’t please her parents as she was and was never enough for them.

Did I enjoy this book? Oh my, yes!
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!!!

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Emmalita · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rake Mistake is a novella set between books 1 and 2 of Erica Ridley’s The Wild Wynchesters series. I haven’t read either book, or anything else by Ridley, but she’s been recommended frequently. And I am trash for heist plots. I thought I’d try this little bite and see what I thought. I liked it.

Miss Philippa York is starchy and entirely uninterested in men. She wants to read her books and spend time with her circle of Bluestockings. Her mother’s greatest wish and driving focus is to get her married, preferably to a Duke or someone who will become a Duke. Mrs. York is constantly interrupting Philippa’s time with her book club and threatening to get rid of her beloved illustrated manuscripts.

The heist comes in when one of the book club members, Grace, bursts in with the dire news that a known rake, Lord Rotherham, stole the hairpin she was wearing the night before, but the hairpin he stole has her twin sister’s name engraved on it. Grace’s sister is engaged to a man she loves, who will think her unfaithful if word gets around that Lord Rotherham has her hairpin. Fortunately a new member of the book club is also a member of a family that commits crimes to right wrongs – basically Regency era Leverage.

Heist plans are made, plans go awry, and the whole group travels to the countryside to try the heist again. Much to Philippa’s chagrin, the book club becomes Heist Club, and of course their is also a Fight Club joke. I liked Philippa and yes now I am more invested in finding out how she gets her happily ever after. I was so so on the resolution to the crime. A man learned something, but it felt a bit facile. Maybe we see more of Lord Rotherham in Perks of Loving a Wallflower and see the lesson sticks.

The Rake Mistake is not an advance reader copy since it was published last year, but I did read this through NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Wynchesters are a quirky family. A wealthy foreigner adopts a number of orphan "street rats" and educations them in all types of skills. In this book, Chloe, now married to the Duke of Faircliffe, has been welcomed by his former fiancee, Philippa York, into her book club. One of the members comes into their meeting very distraught, when the hair pin that she borrowed from sister goes missing after she has an assignation with the infamous Lord Rotherham. Since the Winchesters have the reputation of "helping those who have no other recourse" she asks Chloe and Great- Aunt Wynchester for help. The whole club wants to participate in the adventure- most of all Philippa, whose is threaten by her mother to lose everything that gives her joy, if she does not agree to marry the next titled gentlemen that her father picks out. Nothing is as it appears and fun is had for all. Delightful characters and lots of fun banter.

I read an ARC of this fun read as part of the author's Review Crew. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that this chaotic Regency adventure witty and entertaining. Miss Philippa York lives for her reading circle, although the moniker for the group has not yet been determined as the ladies keep changing their minds. Her overbearing and ambitious mother continually embarrasses and threatens her, making her life a living hell. Fortunately, her connection with the Wild Wynchesters introduces her to not only Great-Aunt Wynchester, but the rest of the bluestockings as well, and they are a force to be reckoned with. In a wild gambit to retrieve stolen jewelry, Philippa refuses to be left behind and together with the entertaining elderly lady, finds herself in situations she never thought to find herself. The adventure comes to a close on a bit of a cliff-hanger and the name of the reading group has still not been decided! I received a copy of this novel as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rake Mistake by Erica Ridley is historical comedy caper and a first book in Heist Club series.

What I didn't realize at the time is that it is apparently a prequel to another book. The reason why this was important to me is that there are so many characters at the beginning that I found it really hard to keep track of their names and roles, and had I feeling that I was missing out on something.

I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and was very excited as historical cozies are my favorite. Sad to say that confusion with the names significantly affected my enjoyment.
The characters are interesting and bold, they were likeable and smart. The mystery was well done and the story flows nicely.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Gracie desired was a kiss from handsome Lord Rotherham, but her garden tryst ended in disaster when the hairpin she had borrowed from her sister suddenly disappeared. With both Gracie's and her sister's reputations at sake, the Heist Club is born to solve this tricky dilemma.

I hadn't previously met the Wild Wynchesters who figure so heavily in this story, but their introduction was delightfully organic. Indeed, all the characters were new to me and I warmed to them instantly. Normally, books set in the Regency era do not curry favour with me, but this story was playful and full of high spirits. And though the plot progressed quickly, the events unfolded naturally.

This cosy is definitively family-friendly though younger readers may struggle with the moral attitudes of the time. I recommend this rollicking time!

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly delightful story that brings in the fabulous Wild Wynchesters, so you never know what will happen!

A clandestine meeting with a rake, leads to a lost diamond hairpin, which is imperative to find. With the ladies of the reading circle, they were determined to find it.

Then the adventure begins! Humor, witty banter and just a fun time, Do not miss this prequal and all the stories of the Wynchesters!

[Kazen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Sadly my least favorite of the series so far - I wasn't pulled in by the heist, and seeing Philippa and "Great Aunt Wynchester" interact is anti-climatic after reading the amazing The Perks of Loving a Wallflower.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly fun and fantastic tale. I read The Duke Heist first so the characters were not new to me. It is funny beyond belief. For those of you who have not read the first book of the series it is great fun.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Catherine Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like the wacky hijinks of the Wynchester siblings? If so, you'll probably enjoy this. It's a lighthearted mystery/heist with all of the wildness and fun you would expect from the Wynchesters and Phillipa's bluestocking book club (who ultimately dub themselves the Heist Club). Lots of laughs, really quick to read, and it contains a preview of The Perks of Loving a Wallflower if you haven't read it.

[Jelke Lenaerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
This book has a content warning for misogny.

This was a fun and short read, which was exactly what I needed at this moment in time. I was a bit scared I was going to be lost while reading this because I didn't read the main series but that definitely wasn't the case for this. I really love the cast of characters and their frienship just jumped of the page. I also really loved Philippa and I'm now am even more excited to read the main series than I was before.

[Coralie • spellboundchapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Her mind was not on the theft, but rather how lovely it must be to have a sister. Someone to share wardrobes with. Someone to talk to. The closest thing she had to sisterhood was the reading circle.
Philippa loved her books more than anything, but that was in part because books were all she had. Her heart had room for so much more.”

(3.5 stars)

This was such a fun novella! Can't wait to see Philippa and Tommy fall in lurrrrve in the next book 🥰

[R. Jetleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, quick romp through regency London

[Linda Kaban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever little book!!