What do you think?
Rate this book
The Duke Hunt #2
The Rake Gets Ravished
New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns with an all new sizzling historical romance in her Duke Hunt series about a woman determined to reclaim her family home from the dangerously handsome owner of London’s most popular gaming hell.
The owner of London’s most popular gaming hell, wealthy and powerful Silas Masters is feared by men and desired by women—except Mercy Kittinger. When the blackguard wins her family home in a game of cards, Mercy steals into Silas’s rooms, intent on destroying the proof. But things don’t go to plan...
She would have her way with him...
Caught in the act, Mercy must be bold to save herself... even if it means seducing the dangerous rogue and then disappearing with the dawn, debt voucher in hand. Safe at home and determined to settle back into her quiet, uneventful life, Mercy burns at the memory of her night spent ravishing the most compelling man she’d ever met. Thank goodness she’ll never see him again!
He didn't see her coming...
No one trifles with Silas Masters. Even if he could forget the dark-haired seductress who undid him, he can’t allow anyone to steal from him. He will hunt down the sultry woman who haunts his dreams and show her just how sweet payback can be.
The owner of London’s most popular gaming hell, wealthy and powerful Silas Masters is feared by men and desired by women—except Mercy Kittinger. When the blackguard wins her family home in a game of cards, Mercy steals into Silas’s rooms, intent on destroying the proof. But things don’t go to plan...
She would have her way with him...
Caught in the act, Mercy must be bold to save herself... even if it means seducing the dangerous rogue and then disappearing with the dawn, debt voucher in hand. Safe at home and determined to settle back into her quiet, uneventful life, Mercy burns at the memory of her night spent ravishing the most compelling man she’d ever met. Thank goodness she’ll never see him again!
He didn't see her coming...
No one trifles with Silas Masters. Even if he could forget the dark-haired seductress who undid him, he can’t allow anyone to steal from him. He will hunt down the sultry woman who haunts his dreams and show her just how sweet payback can be.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2022
166 people are currently reading
4675 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Jordan
83 books8,999 followersPseudonym:
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 500 reviews
December 5, 2022
Read; 3/1/22
This was a fun, light read!
The book starts off when Mercy's dumbass brother gambles away their home. So she has the brilliant idea of breaking into a Gaming hell and stealing back the promise note. Just as she's about to leave, she is caught by the owner. Who didn't see that coming?
When the gorgeous Silas asks what she's doing in his rooms, she tries to seduce him. He turns her down because she's not his type. Ouch!! That was 🥶 ! But then he smells the orange scent on her skin. Apparently oranges are an aphrodisiac! Who knew?
Note to self: buy orange scented shampoo
So now turned on, Silas challengers HER to seduce him. Mercy has seen her brother's naughty books, so this 26yrs old virgin POUNCES on him with the skill of a courtesan. I'm still shocked on how steamy that scene got! I also love that Mercy was the aggressor. That's a rarity in hr.
Poor Mercy! She is way too responsible! She runs a farm, handles tenets, and takes care of her ungrateful siblings. While she works, her little sister has her lessons and her d*****bag brother steals all the money. Losing her virginity was the only time she thought of herself. The girl needed that one night stand!!
Meanwhile, Silas wakes up the next morning to find Mercy gone. It doesn't take him long to find her. Silas knows what it's like to live on the streets and won't let that happen to his child. So he's not leaving till he knows she's not pregnant.
I loved that the MC were both mature. No over dramatic fighting. TG! These two just belonged together.
Conclusion: This was just a fun read! Will I read it again? Probably not.
Sidenote: Authors quite writing the " Virgin being skilled bc of dirty books" trope. It's unrealistic and stupid!
This was a fun, light read!
The book starts off when Mercy's dumbass brother gambles away their home. So she has the brilliant idea of breaking into a Gaming hell and stealing back the promise note. Just as she's about to leave, she is caught by the owner. Who didn't see that coming?
When the gorgeous Silas asks what she's doing in his rooms, she tries to seduce him. He turns her down because she's not his type. Ouch!! That was 🥶 ! But then he smells the orange scent on her skin. Apparently oranges are an aphrodisiac! Who knew?
Note to self: buy orange scented shampoo
So now turned on, Silas challengers HER to seduce him. Mercy has seen her brother's naughty books, so this 26yrs old virgin POUNCES on him with the skill of a courtesan. I'm still shocked on how steamy that scene got! I also love that Mercy was the aggressor. That's a rarity in hr.
Poor Mercy! She is way too responsible! She runs a farm, handles tenets, and takes care of her ungrateful siblings. While she works, her little sister has her lessons and her d*****bag brother steals all the money. Losing her virginity was the only time she thought of herself. The girl needed that one night stand!!
Meanwhile, Silas wakes up the next morning to find Mercy gone. It doesn't take him long to find her. Silas knows what it's like to live on the streets and won't let that happen to his child. So he's not leaving till he knows she's not pregnant.
I loved that the MC were both mature. No over dramatic fighting. TG! These two just belonged together.
Conclusion: This was just a fun read! Will I read it again? Probably not.
Sidenote: Authors quite writing the " Virgin being skilled bc of dirty books" trope. It's unrealistic and stupid!
March 22, 2022
✨Many kinks but self-sacrifice was one of them✨
I’m so sad the last third just completely fumbled the pass I can’t believe I’m so unsatisfied. I loved the first two-thirds and overall recommend this because I ~don’t~ think others will care about this as much as I do, but a major villain gets to live hunky dory at the end and it makes me sick. Another villain basically got off with a slap on the wrist. UGH. Silas didn’t go down on her and the brother just got to sit there and be ugly. If you’re able to ignore some very annoying plot things [historically I’m not great at ignoring very annoying plot things] it’ll be a good time. I like Jordan’s writing style and there were nice moments of humor and love.
This book was good. I liked a lot of it. And at many points I thought it was a 5⭐️ read. I loved the sex and the steam and the rake’s thorough ravishment. I loved how he had a cute little farmer journey. I loved when he comforted Mercy and the animal out in the field. Read: I just really loved his character. He was very wholesome for being a baddie and he was absolutely gone for Mercy. As for her, I loved Mercy at the beginning. I love that the book didn’t hold back on the sex right away and it delivered on that promise.
Seriously, the sex was wonderful. Women are rarely the pursuers in historical romances so this was super fun and sexy. Watching Silas lose his mind and beg was a beautiful beautiful thing to have happen. It was also super HOT. Especially the second scene. He dabbled in dirty talk and I loooooved it. It gave something the first scene didn’t which I think was super important. Since the first one gave a LOT (if it was a tree, it would be the giving tree), there needed to be something to achieve and look forward to. They achieved many many things.
Some people didn’t like that she knew how to seduce him because she read erotic novels but I didn’t mind. (I did mind how they were never brought up again but yolo.) I thought it was hot and I had a wonderful time reading that 20-page sex scene. I can suspend my disbelief when it’s happy times but when shit goes wrong, I can’t shake it.
This had two tropes I just really hate and if they’re not done in a certain way…all that was once well does not end well. 1. Self-sacrificing to such an extent that makes ZERO sense. There’s looking out for your family and then there’s giving up your entire future for no reason because all you have to do is just ask your big, beautiful brown-eyed lover for help. 2. Terrible, horrible, Very Bad, useless villains or characters who face zero consequences or actually gain something at the end of the book. I’m good with a bad villain, but either that villain needs to be thoroughly ruined or thoroughly killed (on page, not off like a wimp).
I’d also prefer the self-sacrificing character (these characters normally go hand in hand) to be a part of the villain’s demise. I want that self-sacrificing character to lose all of their shit and let the bad person have it. Another thing I don’t like is when a character has all of these thoughts but they never speak their mind. I’m fine with that happening for a while, but they gotta go ballistic at some point. Mercy never did. She never yelled at characters who deserved it. Her one act against her brother happens off the page in the epilogue, because of something Silas did. Her character was too forgiving and peace-keeping. She never had that breakthrough I wanted.
She never told him she read dirty books (the whole reason she was able to seduce him…which I was honestly fine with them being her education bc idc it was hot) and he never told her his tragic back story. It was WEIRD. Why were those things left out??? We knew them but the characters didn’t. (If you’ve read this, let me know if you remember either of these convos because I’ll totally eat crow.)
He also said at the beginning that she wasn’t to his tastes. But we never found out what his tastes were? I thought it was gonna mean something opposite like you are too much my taste so I can’t sample your charcuterie board lest I fall in love. Was it just that his tastes weren’t flings and that’s what she “wanted”? I suppose, but that’s not fun or sexy.
Silas also didn’t have a POV until page 60 and he was give scraps in this book. I loved his character but we were barely in his head. And like I mentioned, Mercy never even learned about his past. The ending could’ve handled a lot of loose ends but decided to go in a predictable yet so unsatisfactory direction that distracted me from the overall story. I don’t even think we got a sex scene from his POV. She kept wanting his beard all over her body and that also didn’t happen. This was a hot hot book but some choices were so weird??
Overall, yeah I’ll probably reread this via audiobook when I need something spicy in the background, but it ultimately didn’t make me happy like book one. The Duke Goes Down just really focused on the main couple and didn’t bother with much else. Some people didn’t like that, but it really worked for me. It was easy, breezy, covergirl. The Rake Gets Ravished was super hot, but the relationship got buried by family drama and Mercy’s self-sacrifice kink.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.75/5
***Spoiler but it makes good points I’m biased idk***
Context: Bede is Mercy’s older twin brother who owns the farm and everything because he’s a man. Grace is Mercy’s younger sister. Bede gambles the farm away and basically everything else in his life and Mercy is constantly cleaning up his messes.
(In the last third of the novel) There’s a dude named Hinton. He is a dirty lecherous creep who has left several dead wives in his wake and has now been legally *gifted* one of Bede’s sisters in MARRIAGE because the motherfucker is a horrible brother (who also gets scraps of the justice he deserves). Yes at the end of the book Hinton comes to their farm and is like I’m going to marry Mercy, yay! And she’s literally gonna do it. After EVERYTHING. After finding Silas. She’s still so self-sacrificing that she’s going to take one for the team???? She wasn’t even going to tell Silas???? WHAT THE FUCK. The only character who was like wtf was Grace and thank god for her.
There was absolutely no reason for this. You knew Bede was gonna be a major fuck up but this was ridiculous. On top of the fact that neither one of them get the proper punishment. It distracted from Silas and Mercy’s happy ending because a lot of the end was devoted to this and then the reconciliation happened in one (1) page. So many things weren’t talked about or revealed to the other character: his back story, her love of steamy novels.
Mercy also wanted her Grace to be nice and polite to Hinton??? Mercy literally didn’t even yell at that man after she was freed! She resigned herself to marry him and when that was off the table she just let him go on his merry way. That was NOT a time for civility. That was a time to round up Taylor Swift and Haim and buy a shovel and a backbone. I think you need to do it bitch!
Literally, Hinton got to barter for his ending and that was just not right. At the beginning, Silas denies this nasty dude who pimps out vulnerable people and wanted to do his “business” at Silas’s gaming hell. Silas obviously said fuck off to that and barred him from entry. EXCEPT. Now a man who literally kills his wives owns the gaming hell. What makes you think he won’t accept the pimp’s offer? So many vulnerable people (a lot of them women) will be harmed because of this! The gaming hell will no longer be safe to women and how are they to know that before they just show up and get accosted because ownership changed without them knowing.
I think this was a HUGE oversight and left me with such a bitter taste in my mouth. In my opinion, no villain should get to barter for their ending. That’s way too generous and since this is fiction, I don’t think it needs to happen! And time a villain at least wins a bit at the end of a romance novel I just hate my life. I think it’s because I look to get away from the real world when reading these books and don’t have the emotional capability to be like “there’s good and bad so it’s fiiiine that the villain doesn’t get dealt with and will keep abusing people because that’s life” at least not in romance novels.
Further, Silas gave Bede his fate. Not Mercy. She never let him have it on page. I did love how she didn’t always have to be the one standing alone, that Silas was able to support her when she needed him. But this was a battle she needed to fight herself. Her character deserves that. She needed to grow that back bone because she ended the book way too placating and rarely stuck up for herself.
I think this book could’ve used one more pass in editorial to catch some of the plot holes and things that didn’t make sense.
***End of spoilers!!***
I’m so sad the last third just completely fumbled the pass I can’t believe I’m so unsatisfied. I loved the first two-thirds and overall recommend this because I ~don’t~ think others will care about this as much as I do, but a major villain gets to live hunky dory at the end and it makes me sick. Another villain basically got off with a slap on the wrist. UGH. Silas didn’t go down on her and the brother just got to sit there and be ugly. If you’re able to ignore some very annoying plot things [historically I’m not great at ignoring very annoying plot things] it’ll be a good time. I like Jordan’s writing style and there were nice moments of humor and love.
This book was good. I liked a lot of it. And at many points I thought it was a 5⭐️ read. I loved the sex and the steam and the rake’s thorough ravishment. I loved how he had a cute little farmer journey. I loved when he comforted Mercy and the animal out in the field. Read: I just really loved his character. He was very wholesome for being a baddie and he was absolutely gone for Mercy. As for her, I loved Mercy at the beginning. I love that the book didn’t hold back on the sex right away and it delivered on that promise.
Seriously, the sex was wonderful. Women are rarely the pursuers in historical romances so this was super fun and sexy. Watching Silas lose his mind and beg was a beautiful beautiful thing to have happen. It was also super HOT. Especially the second scene. He dabbled in dirty talk and I loooooved it. It gave something the first scene didn’t which I think was super important. Since the first one gave a LOT (if it was a tree, it would be the giving tree), there needed to be something to achieve and look forward to. They achieved many many things.
Some people didn’t like that she knew how to seduce him because she read erotic novels but I didn’t mind. (I did mind how they were never brought up again but yolo.) I thought it was hot and I had a wonderful time reading that 20-page sex scene. I can suspend my disbelief when it’s happy times but when shit goes wrong, I can’t shake it.
This had two tropes I just really hate and if they’re not done in a certain way…all that was once well does not end well. 1. Self-sacrificing to such an extent that makes ZERO sense. There’s looking out for your family and then there’s giving up your entire future for no reason because all you have to do is just ask your big, beautiful brown-eyed lover for help. 2. Terrible, horrible, Very Bad, useless villains or characters who face zero consequences or actually gain something at the end of the book. I’m good with a bad villain, but either that villain needs to be thoroughly ruined or thoroughly killed (on page, not off like a wimp).
I’d also prefer the self-sacrificing character (these characters normally go hand in hand) to be a part of the villain’s demise. I want that self-sacrificing character to lose all of their shit and let the bad person have it. Another thing I don’t like is when a character has all of these thoughts but they never speak their mind. I’m fine with that happening for a while, but they gotta go ballistic at some point. Mercy never did. She never yelled at characters who deserved it. Her one act against her brother happens off the page in the epilogue, because of something Silas did. Her character was too forgiving and peace-keeping. She never had that breakthrough I wanted.
She never told him she read dirty books (the whole reason she was able to seduce him…which I was honestly fine with them being her education bc idc it was hot) and he never told her his tragic back story. It was WEIRD. Why were those things left out??? We knew them but the characters didn’t. (If you’ve read this, let me know if you remember either of these convos because I’ll totally eat crow.)
He also said at the beginning that she wasn’t to his tastes. But we never found out what his tastes were? I thought it was gonna mean something opposite like you are too much my taste so I can’t sample your charcuterie board lest I fall in love. Was it just that his tastes weren’t flings and that’s what she “wanted”? I suppose, but that’s not fun or sexy.
Silas also didn’t have a POV until page 60 and he was give scraps in this book. I loved his character but we were barely in his head. And like I mentioned, Mercy never even learned about his past. The ending could’ve handled a lot of loose ends but decided to go in a predictable yet so unsatisfactory direction that distracted me from the overall story. I don’t even think we got a sex scene from his POV. She kept wanting his beard all over her body and that also didn’t happen. This was a hot hot book but some choices were so weird??
Overall, yeah I’ll probably reread this via audiobook when I need something spicy in the background, but it ultimately didn’t make me happy like book one. The Duke Goes Down just really focused on the main couple and didn’t bother with much else. Some people didn’t like that, but it really worked for me. It was easy, breezy, covergirl. The Rake Gets Ravished was super hot, but the relationship got buried by family drama and Mercy’s self-sacrifice kink.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.75/5
***Spoiler but it makes good points I’m biased idk***
Context: Bede is Mercy’s older twin brother who owns the farm and everything because he’s a man. Grace is Mercy’s younger sister. Bede gambles the farm away and basically everything else in his life and Mercy is constantly cleaning up his messes.
(In the last third of the novel) There’s a dude named Hinton. He is a dirty lecherous creep who has left several dead wives in his wake and has now been legally *gifted* one of Bede’s sisters in MARRIAGE because the motherfucker is a horrible brother (who also gets scraps of the justice he deserves). Yes at the end of the book Hinton comes to their farm and is like I’m going to marry Mercy, yay! And she’s literally gonna do it. After EVERYTHING. After finding Silas. She’s still so self-sacrificing that she’s going to take one for the team???? She wasn’t even going to tell Silas???? WHAT THE FUCK. The only character who was like wtf was Grace and thank god for her.
There was absolutely no reason for this. You knew Bede was gonna be a major fuck up but this was ridiculous. On top of the fact that neither one of them get the proper punishment. It distracted from Silas and Mercy’s happy ending because a lot of the end was devoted to this and then the reconciliation happened in one (1) page. So many things weren’t talked about or revealed to the other character: his back story, her love of steamy novels.
Mercy also wanted her Grace to be nice and polite to Hinton??? Mercy literally didn’t even yell at that man after she was freed! She resigned herself to marry him and when that was off the table she just let him go on his merry way. That was NOT a time for civility. That was a time to round up Taylor Swift and Haim and buy a shovel and a backbone. I think you need to do it bitch!
Literally, Hinton got to barter for his ending and that was just not right. At the beginning, Silas denies this nasty dude who pimps out vulnerable people and wanted to do his “business” at Silas’s gaming hell. Silas obviously said fuck off to that and barred him from entry. EXCEPT. Now a man who literally kills his wives owns the gaming hell. What makes you think he won’t accept the pimp’s offer? So many vulnerable people (a lot of them women) will be harmed because of this! The gaming hell will no longer be safe to women and how are they to know that before they just show up and get accosted because ownership changed without them knowing.
I think this was a HUGE oversight and left me with such a bitter taste in my mouth. In my opinion, no villain should get to barter for their ending. That’s way too generous and since this is fiction, I don’t think it needs to happen! And time a villain at least wins a bit at the end of a romance novel I just hate my life. I think it’s because I look to get away from the real world when reading these books and don’t have the emotional capability to be like “there’s good and bad so it’s fiiiine that the villain doesn’t get dealt with and will keep abusing people because that’s life” at least not in romance novels.
Further, Silas gave Bede his fate. Not Mercy. She never let him have it on page. I did love how she didn’t always have to be the one standing alone, that Silas was able to support her when she needed him. But this was a battle she needed to fight herself. Her character deserves that. She needed to grow that back bone because she ended the book way too placating and rarely stuck up for herself.
I think this book could’ve used one more pass in editorial to catch some of the plot holes and things that didn’t make sense.
***End of spoilers!!***
August 8, 2022
This book started off so well and the ending was cute, but the middle was pretty slow and boring. This was a very short book and I felt like not a whole lot really happened. I loved how Mercy and Silas met because Mercy wanted to get her house back after her brother gambled their land away. She sneaks into Silas's office, but he shows up and they end up spending the night together. Silas realizes the reason she was in his office and tracks her down and demands they spend time together until he's sure she isn't pregnant. His time on her farm was pretty boring and I felt like nothing really happened. Everything felt like it was very surface level and happened without any real substance to what was happening. The ending was cute and I loved how they ended up together, but overall this book just passed the time and wasn't anything special.
January 27, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
The Rake Gets Ravished has quite the unconventional couple: a farmer heroine and a gaming hell owner. After her irresponsible brother loses their family home in a card game, Mercy Kittinger sneaks into Silas Masters's rooms to steal and destroy the contract. She manages to find the proof, but Silas catches her in his chamber. What's a girl to do but distract the gaming hell owner by ravishing the hell out of him? 😏
I always enjoy historical romances with independent spinster heroines, especially when they are the caretaker of their family. Mercy is an admirable heroine whose main priority is to take care of her family and their farm. Silas is a self-made hero who owns and runs a gaming hell. I had high hopes going into this book because this is such an unconventional pairing in historical romance. I liked Mercy and Silas and I think they made a good couple together. The relationship development was decent. The storyline was also interesting enough to keep my attention, even though some of the supporting characters really pissed me off.
So why the low rating? Well, I just could not suspend disbelief 🤷🏾♀️ Mercy and Silas's first meeting is steamy as hell 🔥 But Mercy is a virgin who acts like an experienced courtesan. She has extensive knowledge of sex based on reading books and studying photos, but she has zero experience. She is a virgin who has never even kissed a man before. And yet, you expect me to believe that she ravished an experienced man with no fumbling and hesitation. She was so good at it that Silas truly believed she was an experienced woman, even though this was her first sexual experience. It was too ridiculous, so I could not for the life of me suspend disbelief. Furthermore, contrary to the title of this book, Silas is not a rake. The alliteration sounds great, but it is not true to the character in question.
Sophie Jordan's prose is usually clear and focused, so I was surprised to see instances of weird purple prose that didn't make any sense. There were a lot of oddly phrased descriptions/metaphors that confused the hell out of me. I could not figure out what the author was trying to describe. I realize that I read an advance reading copy, so maybe these weird metaphors will be changed in the final copy.
I really liked Silas's grand gesture in the final act. I thought it was very moving and sweet. Not to mention that the steam level is 🔥🔥🔥 But I think my expectations were a bit too high going into this book. I was definitely expecting a lot more. That being said, I'm excited for Gwen's book. A female blacksmith?! Yes, please!!
2.5 stars
The Rake Gets Ravished has quite the unconventional couple: a farmer heroine and a gaming hell owner. After her irresponsible brother loses their family home in a card game, Mercy Kittinger sneaks into Silas Masters's rooms to steal and destroy the contract. She manages to find the proof, but Silas catches her in his chamber. What's a girl to do but distract the gaming hell owner by ravishing the hell out of him? 😏
I always enjoy historical romances with independent spinster heroines, especially when they are the caretaker of their family. Mercy is an admirable heroine whose main priority is to take care of her family and their farm. Silas is a self-made hero who owns and runs a gaming hell. I had high hopes going into this book because this is such an unconventional pairing in historical romance. I liked Mercy and Silas and I think they made a good couple together. The relationship development was decent. The storyline was also interesting enough to keep my attention, even though some of the supporting characters really pissed me off.
So why the low rating? Well, I just could not suspend disbelief 🤷🏾♀️ Mercy and Silas's first meeting is steamy as hell 🔥 But Mercy is a virgin who acts like an experienced courtesan. She has extensive knowledge of sex based on reading books and studying photos, but she has zero experience. She is a virgin who has never even kissed a man before. And yet, you expect me to believe that she ravished an experienced man with no fumbling and hesitation. She was so good at it that Silas truly believed she was an experienced woman, even though this was her first sexual experience. It was too ridiculous, so I could not for the life of me suspend disbelief. Furthermore, contrary to the title of this book, Silas is not a rake. The alliteration sounds great, but it is not true to the character in question.
Sophie Jordan's prose is usually clear and focused, so I was surprised to see instances of weird purple prose that didn't make any sense. There were a lot of oddly phrased descriptions/metaphors that confused the hell out of me. I could not figure out what the author was trying to describe. I realize that I read an advance reading copy, so maybe these weird metaphors will be changed in the final copy.
I really liked Silas's grand gesture in the final act. I thought it was very moving and sweet. Not to mention that the steam level is 🔥🔥🔥 But I think my expectations were a bit too high going into this book. I was definitely expecting a lot more. That being said, I'm excited for Gwen's book. A female blacksmith?! Yes, please!!
June 3, 2022
4 Stars
I haven't read Sophie Jordan in months, but from what I remember, her stories are simple affairs with one or two twists squeezed in towards the end, as was the case with this story.
There is nothing bad about this book, nor is there anything outstanding. Here are the highlights -
- A self-made hero
- A caring heroine, a bit too much
- Ravishment first, and romance later
- Scapegrace siblings of the heroine
- Odd side characters
- Unnecessary drama at the end
I have been in an emotional turmoil this past few days, and this story provided a slight relief.
I haven't read Sophie Jordan in months, but from what I remember, her stories are simple affairs with one or two twists squeezed in towards the end, as was the case with this story.
There is nothing bad about this book, nor is there anything outstanding. Here are the highlights -
- A self-made hero
- A caring heroine, a bit too much
- Ravishment first, and romance later
- Scapegrace siblings of the heroine
- Odd side characters
- Unnecessary drama at the end
I have been in an emotional turmoil this past few days, and this story provided a slight relief.
August 12, 2025
rating: 3.75★
starts off HOT and ends sweet. it was enjoyable and shorter, but i would've liked a little more going on w their relationship.
but like i said, it was very sweet. rumored playboy is seduced and furthermore finds himself won over by the fmc's upstanding character. i did like that he's v willing to go to bat for her.
starts off HOT and ends sweet. it was enjoyable and shorter, but i would've liked a little more going on w their relationship.
but like i said, it was very sweet. rumored playboy is seduced and furthermore finds himself won over by the fmc's upstanding character. i did like that he's v willing to go to bat for her.
February 14, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up
When her twin brother Bede recklessly gambles away their family farm, Mercy Kittinger travels to London and infiltrates the gaming hell, The Rogue’s Den with no real plan in mind other than to retrieve the voucher her brother gave Silas Masters, the hell’s owner. Once inside, Mercy unintentionally draws Silas’ attention and is stunned by her immediate attraction to him. But she has a job to do and drooling over Silas won’t save her family. She searches the club and finds Silas’ private rooms, finding the voucher. But as she is leaving, Silas enters, and rather than run, Mercy pretends that she was there to seduce him, an offer he turns down. Instead of being relieved, she is a bit miffed and starts to leave, but makes it clear that Silas is making a mistake.
When Silas finds Mercy in his rooms, his first instinct is to send her away, but her saucy nature intrigues him. Silas is a self-made man and a bit of a loner and if truth be told, he is a little bored, so he calls her bluff and invites Mercy to stay. And they share an incredible night of passion, but when he wakes, she is gone and he discovers the truth, she is a thief!
He tracks her down and is surprised to realize he doesn’t want to let her go, so he demands to stay at the farm until he knows that their night together didn’t produce any consequences. And they form a friendship, but beneath it all simmers the attraction they experienced in London. Despite their friendship and the respect he has come to have for her, Silas believes that marriage is not for him and Mercy is not willing to be a kept woman, so they are at a stalemate, but when it comes time for Silas to return to London, will he be able to walk away, and will she let him?
This was a great installment to the series and, I loved Silas and Mercy, they had such great chemistry and it was clear from the start, that they belonged together. The book has witty banter, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, elopements, shocking surprises, a loser brother who get his due, and finally a HEA. Silas is not a rake – far from it and I do wish Silas’ backstory had gotten a bit more page time, I also wish that he put up more of a fight in the end, but really those things are minor and I loved this story! The book is part of “The Duke Hunt” series but is it very loosely connected and this book can easily be read as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
When her twin brother Bede recklessly gambles away their family farm, Mercy Kittinger travels to London and infiltrates the gaming hell, The Rogue’s Den with no real plan in mind other than to retrieve the voucher her brother gave Silas Masters, the hell’s owner. Once inside, Mercy unintentionally draws Silas’ attention and is stunned by her immediate attraction to him. But she has a job to do and drooling over Silas won’t save her family. She searches the club and finds Silas’ private rooms, finding the voucher. But as she is leaving, Silas enters, and rather than run, Mercy pretends that she was there to seduce him, an offer he turns down. Instead of being relieved, she is a bit miffed and starts to leave, but makes it clear that Silas is making a mistake.
When Silas finds Mercy in his rooms, his first instinct is to send her away, but her saucy nature intrigues him. Silas is a self-made man and a bit of a loner and if truth be told, he is a little bored, so he calls her bluff and invites Mercy to stay. And they share an incredible night of passion, but when he wakes, she is gone and he discovers the truth, she is a thief!
He tracks her down and is surprised to realize he doesn’t want to let her go, so he demands to stay at the farm until he knows that their night together didn’t produce any consequences. And they form a friendship, but beneath it all simmers the attraction they experienced in London. Despite their friendship and the respect he has come to have for her, Silas believes that marriage is not for him and Mercy is not willing to be a kept woman, so they are at a stalemate, but when it comes time for Silas to return to London, will he be able to walk away, and will she let him?
This was a great installment to the series and, I loved Silas and Mercy, they had such great chemistry and it was clear from the start, that they belonged together. The book has witty banter, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, elopements, shocking surprises, a loser brother who get his due, and finally a HEA. Silas is not a rake – far from it and I do wish Silas’ backstory had gotten a bit more page time, I also wish that he put up more of a fight in the end, but really those things are minor and I loved this story! The book is part of “The Duke Hunt” series but is it very loosely connected and this book can easily be read as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
January 9, 2022
When Mercy Kittinger's boneheaded brother gambles away her family’s farm, she’s determined to get the voucher back…even if it means stealing from club owner Silas Masters. Nearly getting caught leads to a fiery one-night stand, and then Mercy takes off for home assuming she’ll never see him again. But Silas refuses to be duped and finds her, for they have unfinished business!
This is second book in the Duke Hunt series. It can be read alone. There are minimal references to the first story and the previous heroine only makes a small appearance.
I love Sophie Jordan’s storytelling and devoured this book in a day. Mercy is carrying the full load for her family; and when she has an unexpected chance to have a moment of pleasure for herself, she takes it. Silas tracks her down for revenge, but quickly comes to realize how special Mercy is. She’s strong and loving, and the pair have blazing chemistry! There weren’t quite as many intimate scenes as I was expecting, but the couple couldn’t seem to find a lot of privacy around the Kittinger household.
Tropes: One Night Stand, Revenge (sort of), Working Heroine (lady farmer)
Steam: 2
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #TheRakeGetsRavished #NetGalley
This is second book in the Duke Hunt series. It can be read alone. There are minimal references to the first story and the previous heroine only makes a small appearance.
I love Sophie Jordan’s storytelling and devoured this book in a day. Mercy is carrying the full load for her family; and when she has an unexpected chance to have a moment of pleasure for herself, she takes it. Silas tracks her down for revenge, but quickly comes to realize how special Mercy is. She’s strong and loving, and the pair have blazing chemistry! There weren’t quite as many intimate scenes as I was expecting, but the couple couldn’t seem to find a lot of privacy around the Kittinger household.
Tropes: One Night Stand, Revenge (sort of), Working Heroine (lady farmer)
Steam: 2
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #TheRakeGetsRavished #NetGalley
December 17, 2022
enjoyed it a lot!!!
almost a five star read and considering how much I disliked book 1 it goes to show how I should never give up on a series based on one book
almost a five star read and considering how much I disliked book 1 it goes to show how I should never give up on a series based on one book
February 22, 2022
Silas Masters has become one of the most powerful men in London as the owner of one of the most successful gambling dens in the city. He’s both revered and feared by men and seen as an object of desire by women, but Mercy Kittinger doesn’t see him that way at all. The dastardly man has won her family home in a game of cards against her useless brother and now it’s up to Mercy to sneak into his rooms and steal back the vowel. But of course, her plan goes awry when Silas returns to his rooms just as Mercy is trying to slip away. With no excuse for being where she definitely should not be, Mercy seduces Silas into a night of passion, thereby distracting him and then leaving before sunrise with the vowel securely in her possession.
Mercy returns to her quiet country life and resumes her normal routine, and though she burns at the memory of the night she spent with an unexpectedly compelling man, she’s thankful that she’ll never have to cross paths with him again.
Silas Masters does not take kindly to thieves, even beautiful, seductive ones. He notices the missing vowel, deduces what happened, and sets off in pursuit to give Mercy a taste of her own medicine.
The first book in this series was a bit blah for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one and I was therefore shocked by how much I loved it. Mercy and Silas were just fabulous together. I loved how she roused his protective instincts and yet was so independent and it was ultimately her who had to be strong and declare herself to him. I found it quite interesting that in this case it was the hero who was insecure and afraid of rejection. Mercy and Silas were an excellent match, and both needed each other more than I think either even realized at first. Their chemistry was explosive from the beginning, and I greatly enjoyed that much of the time Mercy was the aggressor and Silas was just bowled over by her and by his unexpected reaction to her. It was utterly charming to see Silas just completely mind blown and flummoxed by Mercy, only to wake without her and find himself setting off in pursuit of her despite all his other responsibilities. Silas and Mercy were both flawed, real, relatable characters and I loved that they grew together and brought out the best in each other. Neither of them had really ever had someone they could rely on, and it was nice to see them develop that dynamic over the course of Silas’ time in the country without them realizing it was even happening. The chemistry between Mercy and Silas just leapt off the pages anytime they were in proximity to one another in such a way that it made this book really special. Call me old fashioned but I’m a sucker for a hero who defends his lady and we got that here along with a capable and sexually aggressive heroine and I couldn’t have been more on board with it and how well done it was in this book. I loved this story, and I can’t wait for Gwen’s book now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Mercy returns to her quiet country life and resumes her normal routine, and though she burns at the memory of the night she spent with an unexpectedly compelling man, she’s thankful that she’ll never have to cross paths with him again.
Silas Masters does not take kindly to thieves, even beautiful, seductive ones. He notices the missing vowel, deduces what happened, and sets off in pursuit to give Mercy a taste of her own medicine.
The first book in this series was a bit blah for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one and I was therefore shocked by how much I loved it. Mercy and Silas were just fabulous together. I loved how she roused his protective instincts and yet was so independent and it was ultimately her who had to be strong and declare herself to him. I found it quite interesting that in this case it was the hero who was insecure and afraid of rejection. Mercy and Silas were an excellent match, and both needed each other more than I think either even realized at first. Their chemistry was explosive from the beginning, and I greatly enjoyed that much of the time Mercy was the aggressor and Silas was just bowled over by her and by his unexpected reaction to her. It was utterly charming to see Silas just completely mind blown and flummoxed by Mercy, only to wake without her and find himself setting off in pursuit of her despite all his other responsibilities. Silas and Mercy were both flawed, real, relatable characters and I loved that they grew together and brought out the best in each other. Neither of them had really ever had someone they could rely on, and it was nice to see them develop that dynamic over the course of Silas’ time in the country without them realizing it was even happening. The chemistry between Mercy and Silas just leapt off the pages anytime they were in proximity to one another in such a way that it made this book really special. Call me old fashioned but I’m a sucker for a hero who defends his lady and we got that here along with a capable and sexually aggressive heroine and I couldn’t have been more on board with it and how well done it was in this book. I loved this story, and I can’t wait for Gwen’s book now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
March 13, 2022
This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, steamy historical romance. It has a likable, strong and capable female protagonist, a hot, kind and sensitive hero, sizzling chemistry, and a heart-warming romance. It is the second entry in Ms. Jordan's outstanding "The Duke Hunt" series, and can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is even better when read after reading "The Duke Goes Down". I am looking forward to reading Gwen's story with great anticipation.
November 20, 2021
“The Rake Gets Ravished” is the second book in the series, The Duke Hunt by Sophie Jordan. I think this story was a step up from the previous book and I thoroughly enjoyed it very much although there was no mentioning of a duke in sight. As to my “pets” with historical romances, this story jumped right off the page into a gaming den and steamy intimate relations on the part of the heroine more so than the hero.
The story begins with a naïve Mercy Kittinger, who in order to keep their home and farm, enters the gaming den of proprietor, Silas Masters to steal back the note. Mercy’s has selfish brother, Bede, who gambles away their livelihood and only thinks of himself when doing it. That was one character that I disliked in this entire story but aided to the plot. It was his lack of judgment that had Mercy, who has sacrificed her life for her family, now making a bigger sacrifice to keep her family together despite her brother’s antics. In the process, she decides she would enjoy the experience as she would never get the chance again.
After she steals the note and compromises herself to obtain it, Silas discovers what has happened and tracks her down. After he finds her, decides to stay at their family farm on a pretense of her being with child. His stay turns into a budding relationship that leads them on a path to love. My only drawbacks to the story were that there was real villain, although the story seemed to start out with the makings of one and close the end, having another but not actually producing one to close that part of the plot. I thought it unbelievable that a known rake would given up a big moneymaking venture, such as his gaming den, for love. It didn’t seem plausible but I guess it worked. In addition, the ending felt a bit rushed and could have been developed a bit more.
As mentioned, this book of the series was quite entertaining and enjoyable. Recommended read
.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The story begins with a naïve Mercy Kittinger, who in order to keep their home and farm, enters the gaming den of proprietor, Silas Masters to steal back the note. Mercy’s has selfish brother, Bede, who gambles away their livelihood and only thinks of himself when doing it. That was one character that I disliked in this entire story but aided to the plot. It was his lack of judgment that had Mercy, who has sacrificed her life for her family, now making a bigger sacrifice to keep her family together despite her brother’s antics. In the process, she decides she would enjoy the experience as she would never get the chance again.
After she steals the note and compromises herself to obtain it, Silas discovers what has happened and tracks her down. After he finds her, decides to stay at their family farm on a pretense of her being with child. His stay turns into a budding relationship that leads them on a path to love. My only drawbacks to the story were that there was real villain, although the story seemed to start out with the makings of one and close the end, having another but not actually producing one to close that part of the plot. I thought it unbelievable that a known rake would given up a big moneymaking venture, such as his gaming den, for love. It didn’t seem plausible but I guess it worked. In addition, the ending felt a bit rushed and could have been developed a bit more.
As mentioned, this book of the series was quite entertaining and enjoyable. Recommended read
.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 18, 2024
Mercy is a down on her luck girl who is basically the definition of I’m a Survivor by Reba McEntire 🤷♀️ Mercy’s absolutely horrible no good brother Bede loves to gamble but he kind of sucks at it which is why Mercy is always stressing over her family and their farm.
So Bede gambles away the entire family farm to the owner of the gambling hell of where he was up to no good behavior because what else did you think was going to happen 🤔 Mercy being the queen she is goes to the gambling hell to steal the voucher with proof of the farm being signed over to Silas Masters, the owner of the gambling hell WHO IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A RAKE THOUGH THE TITLE IMPLIES OTHERWISE!! (also can we please talk about how sexy the name Silas Masters is 🙈).
Mercy wears a risqué gown which shows some boobage to blend in with the other woman in the club but then this creepy old man attempts to grope Mercy BUT Silas stops this because also what else did you think was going to happen 🤔 Mercy is running 🏃♀️ trying to get the voucher and she’s so close!! But no! Her plan is thwarted when Silas enters the room so she lies on the spot and says that she was there to seduce him. 🤨🤨 Silas says no so Mercy attempts to leave though she’s secretly hurt about the rejection. Luckily Silas has a fondness of oranges and he gets a whiff of it on Mercy which makes him go all 😏 In an obvious turn of events Mercy and Silas go at it till the wee hours of the morning and Silas somehow sleeps soundly for the first time in forever (which is a clear indication that they're meant to be together obviously).
Mercy runs away but in a moment of weakness she leaves an “I’m Sorry” note and a blood stain on the sheets because she lost her you know what. Silas figures out that Mercy was the culprit gets mad, goes to her farm, questions her, followed by some angry communication which leads to naughty behavior in her orangery 😱 but Bede comes looking for them before they get to actually do “it”. They don’t get caught but Silas makes an excuse of why he’s visiting because the real reason is to see if Mercy isn’t with child 🤰🙅♀️. They manage to stay apart from each other albeit with difficultly because they have the hots for each other 🙂🙂 La da dee da time goes on and Silas being an honorable hottie helps Mercy out on the farm.
When Mercy and Silas are at the local ball they catch Grace kissing total piece of crap, Amos Blankenship. Mercy goes all big sister on her and takes Grace away. In a succession of extremely bratty behavior from Grace, Mercy gets sad, naturally, which leads to Silas comforting her, WHICH leads to them kissing, WHICH ALSO leads to Grace catching them and acting like a even bigger brat. Grace runs away with Blankenship but Mercy and Silas catch her thankfully 😒. Mercy can’t deny her attraction to Silas ANY longer so she goes to him and thankfully he was about to go look for her too! Mercy and Silas FINALLY get to do the naughty and it was pretty good 🤷♀️😈 But then, no! Mercy got her courses and she’s not with child so after a very awkward interaction with Silas they say goodbye to each other on not so friendly terms.
Plot twist, Bede sold off his sisters to a creepy old man who wants to a young wife and because Mercy is always so selfless and humble, she agrees to marry slime bucket Hinton. Grace tells Silas and he goes back to Mercy and they separate on even worse terms from before. Silas goes to Hinton and gives up HIS CLUB FOR MERCY. Before you go for a guy ladies, listen, would HE give up a club for YOU, or something else valuable that guys like, like steak or football or something. 🧐🧐 When Mercy discovers that she doesn’t have to marry Hinton anymore she goes and chases after Silas.
Then occurs possibly one of the best love confessions I have EVER read (except for the whole cheering and whooping thing - a lot cheesy and out of character for Silas). After a very satisfying marriage proposal, there’s a short epilogue which was a perfect conclusion to the story!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2024
⭐⭐
2 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Farmer heroine.
Not a naive heroine… but a curious/experimenting heroine.
Interesting premise for the plot and interesting start to the plot/story...but…..
➖ What I disliked:
A doormat heroine that has spoiled and irresponsible and very selfish siblings.
The ending is rushed and abrupt and too many issues are just glossed over and not resolved in a plausible way.
( Especially about the heroines brother…and that there is no consequences or comeuppance for his messed up behavior…. But also why did the hero have to sacrifice his club?… when he is so very rich he could have paid the old man…. Or gone to court… he had the money and then some why do what he did? It makes No sense??)
Rushed in so many parts of the story… especially the start to the story.
Believability/plausibility issues.
(The heroine is way too bold and dominant sexually for being so inexperienced…. And is also rather aggressive sexually towards the hero. )
The romantic build up and chemistry was forced/unconvincing and lacked depth… but also very rushed.
Lacking/underdeveloped sexual tension.
The steam was bland.
Plot-holes.
(Why is it only the heroine that toils on the family farm? Not the little sister … she is 17 not 5 even if she acts like it.)
Repetitive.
Underdeveloped.
Underdeveloped main characters.
Annoying side characters.
Kind of vague character description of both the main characters… especially about the heroine.
(The only thing that is hinted at is the heroines hair color and eye color ...otherwise not much more)
Anachronistic.
2 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Farmer heroine.
Not a naive heroine… but a curious/experimenting heroine.
Interesting premise for the plot and interesting start to the plot/story...but…..
➖ What I disliked:
A doormat heroine that has spoiled and irresponsible and very selfish siblings.
The ending is rushed and abrupt and too many issues are just glossed over and not resolved in a plausible way.
( Especially about the heroines brother…and that there is no consequences or comeuppance for his messed up behavior…. But also why did the hero have to sacrifice his club?… when he is so very rich he could have paid the old man…. Or gone to court… he had the money and then some why do what he did? It makes No sense??)
Rushed in so many parts of the story… especially the start to the story.
Believability/plausibility issues.
(The heroine is way too bold and dominant sexually for being so inexperienced…. And is also rather aggressive sexually towards the hero. )
The romantic build up and chemistry was forced/unconvincing and lacked depth… but also very rushed.
Lacking/underdeveloped sexual tension.
The steam was bland.
Plot-holes.
(Why is it only the heroine that toils on the family farm? Not the little sister … she is 17 not 5 even if she acts like it.)
Repetitive.
Underdeveloped.
Underdeveloped main characters.
Annoying side characters.
Kind of vague character description of both the main characters… especially about the heroine.
(The only thing that is hinted at is the heroines hair color and eye color ...otherwise not much more)
Anachronistic.
May 9, 2023
2.75
February 24, 2022
I have really liked all Sophie Jordan’s books. I have been reading her books since 2018.
OMG, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I have to say, this book had me 3 pages in. WOW what a ride the first 5 chapters. My favorite trope is the super hot gaming hell owner. Yummy.
I just loved Silas and Mercy. I loved this storyline, I loved this couple and the sex was off the chain. Anyone that can write a sex scene from the end of one chapter and all the way through the end of the next chapter is awesome in my book. What a well written scene. I couldn’t put this book down.
I would definitely recommend this book. If I could give her more than 5 stars I would.
OMG, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I have to say, this book had me 3 pages in. WOW what a ride the first 5 chapters. My favorite trope is the super hot gaming hell owner. Yummy.
I just loved Silas and Mercy. I loved this storyline, I loved this couple and the sex was off the chain. Anyone that can write a sex scene from the end of one chapter and all the way through the end of the next chapter is awesome in my book. What a well written scene. I couldn’t put this book down.
I would definitely recommend this book. If I could give her more than 5 stars I would.
February 22, 2022
Dang. The title was not kidding. The duke gets ravished and basically right away!!
I thought this book was a great quick read. A pretty straight forward romance that I liked. Great steam, great heart, great, great, great.
I really appreciate Sophie Jordan’s writing that isn’t bogged down. It’s swift pacing and plot has me zipping through it and sad when it’s over.
Another wonderful read from, Sophie Jordan!
This book was given to me by the publisher, review is my own.
I thought this book was a great quick read. A pretty straight forward romance that I liked. Great steam, great heart, great, great, great.
I really appreciate Sophie Jordan’s writing that isn’t bogged down. It’s swift pacing and plot has me zipping through it and sad when it’s over.
Another wonderful read from, Sophie Jordan!
This book was given to me by the publisher, review is my own.
January 7, 2023
This my third Sophie Jordan story and so far it seems they all start off great and then just kinda burn out quietly somewhere around midpoint 🤷🏻♀️
Such a stunning, schorching beginning - the banter, the mistaken identity and a lady thief... Only to fall into a mud midway through and remain stuck in its dull muddy depths for the rest of the book. A pity, really.
side note: it was really great too see a heroine taking charge in the bedroom, knowing what she wants and who isnt ignorant just bc she is a virgin... we need more of that in this genre 💕
Such a stunning, schorching beginning - the banter, the mistaken identity and a lady thief... Only to fall into a mud midway through and remain stuck in its dull muddy depths for the rest of the book. A pity, really.
side note: it was really great too see a heroine taking charge in the bedroom, knowing what she wants and who isnt ignorant just bc she is a virgin... we need more of that in this genre 💕
March 28, 2022
Much better than the first book in the series. This one reminded me of a one night with consequences harlequin book.
February 4, 2024
1.5*
This one is the weakest one in the series I’ve read so far
Not much intrigue / tension built at all, Silas barely told Mercy anything about his childhood. The intimacy was non existent.
#3 in the series is still the best one so far. Not sure if I’ll give #4 a go now as this was such a disappointment…
(Side note: I just realised that the author is writing as if Shropshire was a village. Now - correct me if I’m wrong - but Shropshire is a COUNTY in the UK. Not a village. I’m aware this is fiction, but if you’re selling it as historical romance, please do your research)
This one is the weakest one in the series I’ve read so far
Not much intrigue / tension built at all, Silas barely told Mercy anything about his childhood. The intimacy was non existent.
#3 in the series is still the best one so far. Not sure if I’ll give #4 a go now as this was such a disappointment…
(Side note: I just realised that the author is writing as if Shropshire was a village. Now - correct me if I’m wrong - but Shropshire is a COUNTY in the UK. Not a village. I’m aware this is fiction, but if you’re selling it as historical romance, please do your research)
February 14, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up
When her twin brother Bede recklessly gambles away their family farm, Mercy Kittinger travels to London and infiltrates the gaming hell, The Rogue’s Den with no real plan in mind other than to retrieve the voucher her brother gave Silas Masters, the hell’s owner. Once inside, Mercy unintentionally draws Silas’ attention and is stunned by her immediate attraction to him. But she has a job to do and drooling over Silas won’t save her family. She searches the club and finds Silas’ private rooms, finding the voucher. But as she is leaving, Silas enters, and rather than run, Mercy pretends that she was there to seduce him, an offer he turns down. Instead of being relieved, she is a bit miffed and starts to leave, but makes it clear that Silas is making a mistake.
When Silas finds Mercy in his rooms, his first instinct is to send her away, but her saucy nature intrigues him. Silas is a self-made man and a bit of a loner and if truth be told, he is a little bored, so he calls her bluff and invites Mercy to stay. And they share an incredible night of passion, but when he wakes, she is gone and he discovers the truth, she is a thief!
He tracks her down and is surprised to realize he doesn’t want to let her go, so he demands to stay at the farm until he knows that their night together didn’t produce any consequences. And they form a friendship, but beneath it all simmers the attraction they experienced in London. Despite their friendship and the respect he has come to have for her, Silas believes that marriage is not for him and Mercy is not willing to be a kept woman, so they are at a stalemate, but when it comes time for Silas to return to London, will he be able to walk away, and will she let him?
This was a great installment to the series and, I loved Silas and Mercy, they had such great chemistry and it was clear from the start, that they belonged together. The book has witty banter, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, elopements, shocking surprises, a loser brother who get his due, and finally a HEA. Silas is not a rake – far from it and I do wish Silas’ backstory had gotten a bit more page time, I also wish that he put up more of a fight in the end, but really those things are minor and I loved this story! The book is part of “The Duke Hunt” series but is it very loosely connected and this book can easily be read as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
When her twin brother Bede recklessly gambles away their family farm, Mercy Kittinger travels to London and infiltrates the gaming hell, The Rogue’s Den with no real plan in mind other than to retrieve the voucher her brother gave Silas Masters, the hell’s owner. Once inside, Mercy unintentionally draws Silas’ attention and is stunned by her immediate attraction to him. But she has a job to do and drooling over Silas won’t save her family. She searches the club and finds Silas’ private rooms, finding the voucher. But as she is leaving, Silas enters, and rather than run, Mercy pretends that she was there to seduce him, an offer he turns down. Instead of being relieved, she is a bit miffed and starts to leave, but makes it clear that Silas is making a mistake.
When Silas finds Mercy in his rooms, his first instinct is to send her away, but her saucy nature intrigues him. Silas is a self-made man and a bit of a loner and if truth be told, he is a little bored, so he calls her bluff and invites Mercy to stay. And they share an incredible night of passion, but when he wakes, she is gone and he discovers the truth, she is a thief!
He tracks her down and is surprised to realize he doesn’t want to let her go, so he demands to stay at the farm until he knows that their night together didn’t produce any consequences. And they form a friendship, but beneath it all simmers the attraction they experienced in London. Despite their friendship and the respect he has come to have for her, Silas believes that marriage is not for him and Mercy is not willing to be a kept woman, so they are at a stalemate, but when it comes time for Silas to return to London, will he be able to walk away, and will she let him?
This was a great installment to the series and, I loved Silas and Mercy, they had such great chemistry and it was clear from the start, that they belonged together. The book has witty banter, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, elopements, shocking surprises, a loser brother who get his due, and finally a HEA. Silas is not a rake – far from it and I do wish Silas’ backstory had gotten a bit more page time, I also wish that he put up more of a fight in the end, but really those things are minor and I loved this story! The book is part of “The Duke Hunt” series but is it very loosely connected and this book can easily be read as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*
March 7, 2022
she needs to steal something from him in order not to lose her house, they end up sleeping together.
what was supposed to be a one night thing turns into a friendship then more.
this was so cute, and i loved the hero
what was supposed to be a one night thing turns into a friendship then more.
this was so cute, and i loved the hero
December 5, 2021
This was disappointing. I love a good regency romance, but good is the operative word here. The premise looked interesting, but as it progressed I became more and more convinced that it was not for me. The idea that Mercy would have had no romantic relationships and yet have extensively studied her brother's erotic literature collection and be ready and willing to put that study to use stretches plausibility. But I could have forgiven that if the writing style hadn't grated so.
We have such phrases as "he husked" -- which I take it means his voice was husky, not that he suddenly started husking corn. Even that I could have forgiven.
However. Then I encountered this sentence: "Those unfurling lips were like a forest on a moonless night, with all kinds of magic humming below the surface, out of sight, but real and present." And that's where I decided my time could better be spent elsewhere. Sails unfurl. Large pieces of cloth unfurl. While lips miiiiiiight be described as "furled" I have never seen them described as "unfurling." Not to mention the rest of that ridiculous sentence.
Not for me. If you like overly flowery and slightly strange similes, or can forgive them more easily than I, then you might enjoy this book very much. I care about writing style too much to do so.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an e-arc for review.
We have such phrases as "he husked" -- which I take it means his voice was husky, not that he suddenly started husking corn. Even that I could have forgiven.
However. Then I encountered this sentence: "Those unfurling lips were like a forest on a moonless night, with all kinds of magic humming below the surface, out of sight, but real and present." And that's where I decided my time could better be spent elsewhere. Sails unfurl. Large pieces of cloth unfurl. While lips miiiiiiight be described as "furled" I have never seen them described as "unfurling." Not to mention the rest of that ridiculous sentence.
Not for me. If you like overly flowery and slightly strange similes, or can forgive them more easily than I, then you might enjoy this book very much. I care about writing style too much to do so.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an e-arc for review.
February 21, 2022
Rake begins with a bang, literally! When Mercy Kittinger goes to reclaim a land deed (gambled away by her INFURIATINGLY RECKLESS brother) from gaming hell owner Silas Masters, she quickly finds herself in a “compromising position” (or maybe two or three!).
I loved Mercy’s spunk, her independence, and her willingness to do anything (or anyone) for the good of her family. Silas is easily likable, though I wished to know EVEN more about his backstory. However, the chemistry between these two is so delicious.
Rake did need more of a…villain. Mercy’s brother, the main antagonist (who was just so pathetic, rotten, and reprehensible) was somehow lacking in character depth! I needed just a little bit…more.
I loved Mercy’s spunk, her independence, and her willingness to do anything (or anyone) for the good of her family. Silas is easily likable, though I wished to know EVEN more about his backstory. However, the chemistry between these two is so delicious.
Rake did need more of a…villain. Mercy’s brother, the main antagonist (who was just so pathetic, rotten, and reprehensible) was somehow lacking in character depth! I needed just a little bit…more.
May 4, 2022
I do not know why I keep doing this to myself
February 28, 2025
Shit sucked. RTC.
November 18, 2021
3.5 Stars
Okay, I read all of Sophie Jordan’s Historical Romances, so I didn’t even peruse the synopsis before committing to this read. I went in totally blind and was so excited to find Silas’s romance! I felt like I’ve been yearning for it for so long, ever since he made a small appearance in previous books.
I love how we jump right in. It’s high stakes and sexy right from the get-go. The initial way Mercy and Silas come together was slightly awkward, I wasn’t sure why Silas caved, but I was quickly past it and all in with the romance. The heat and fantastical scenario was everything I love from Jordan’s Historical Romances.
I was less impressed with Silas’s arc through to the end though. He lost a lot of that rough and dangerous demeanor that gave him so much heat. It was a little too passive by mid book, even though I still loved the chemistry he had with Mercy.
Mercy’s character I really enjoyed. Her maturity and sense of responsibility was well explored while also leaving room for touches of innocence and growth. She really carried the book.
Overall, it wasn’t perfect, but it was still a compulsive read that fits right in with Jordan’s excellent work. It’s one that I know I’ll reread.
*I received a free copy from the publisher via netgalley.
Okay, I read all of Sophie Jordan’s Historical Romances, so I didn’t even peruse the synopsis before committing to this read. I went in totally blind and was so excited to find Silas’s romance! I felt like I’ve been yearning for it for so long, ever since he made a small appearance in previous books.
I love how we jump right in. It’s high stakes and sexy right from the get-go. The initial way Mercy and Silas come together was slightly awkward, I wasn’t sure why Silas caved, but I was quickly past it and all in with the romance. The heat and fantastical scenario was everything I love from Jordan’s Historical Romances.
I was less impressed with Silas’s arc through to the end though. He lost a lot of that rough and dangerous demeanor that gave him so much heat. It was a little too passive by mid book, even though I still loved the chemistry he had with Mercy.
Mercy’s character I really enjoyed. Her maturity and sense of responsibility was well explored while also leaving room for touches of innocence and growth. She really carried the book.
Overall, it wasn’t perfect, but it was still a compulsive read that fits right in with Jordan’s excellent work. It’s one that I know I’ll reread.
*I received a free copy from the publisher via netgalley.
March 4, 2022
This book was ok. I don't see myself re-reading it.
SOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
The night they meet they have sex because he catches her in his rooms (she was hunting for the piece of paper with the marker her brother gave him, for their family farm).
He tracks her down at the farm and stays there for the next few weeks, waiting to see if she gets her period or if she is pregnant with his child.
The heroine's brother and sister were so annoying and selfish. They ruined the book.
SOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
The night they meet they have sex because he catches her in his rooms (she was hunting for the piece of paper with the marker her brother gave him, for their family farm).
He tracks her down at the farm and stays there for the next few weeks, waiting to see if she gets her period or if she is pregnant with his child.
The heroine's brother and sister were so annoying and selfish. They ruined the book.
March 21, 2022
Re-release?
I feel like I've read this exact story before. So either Ms. Jordan re-released it, or it belongs o someone else.
I feel like I've read this exact story before. So either Ms. Jordan re-released it, or it belongs o someone else.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 500 reviews