The Taming of the Rake

Blackthorn Brothers #1

by Kasey Michaels

MEET THE BLACKTHORN BROTHERS—
THREE UNREPENTANT SCOUNDRELS INFAMOUS FOR BEING MAD, BAD AND PERILOUS TO LOVE

Charming, wealthy and wickedly handsome, Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn has it all…except revenge on the enemy he can’t forget. Now the opportunity for retribution has fallen into his hands. But his success hinges on Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman—the one woman with the power to distract him from his quest.

Desperate to escape her family’s control, Lady Chelsea seizes the chance to run off with the notorious eldest Blackthorn brother, knowing she’s only a pawn in his game. But as Beau draws her deep into a world of intrigue, danger and explosive passion, does she dare hope he’ll choose love over vengeance?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, British Literature

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Kasey Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books (she doesn't count them). Kasey has received three coveted Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, two for the historical romances, THE SECRETS OF THE HEART and THE BUTLER DID IT, and a third for contemporary romance LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (that shows diversity, you see). She is a recipient of the RITA, a Waldenbooks and Bookrak Bestseller award, and many awards from Romantic Times magazine, including a Career Achievement award for her Regency era historical romances. She is an Honor Roll author in Romance Writers of America, Inc. (RWA)

Kasey has appeared on the TODAY show, and was the subject of a Lifetime Cable TV show "A Better Way," in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine, a program devoted to women and how they have achieved career success in the midst of motherhood (short version: "with great difficulty").

A highly praised nonfiction book, written as Kathryn Seidick, "...OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO," details the story of Kasey and her family during the time of her eldest son's first kidney transplant.

Kasey has written Regency romances, Regency historicals, category books including novellas and continuities and a few series "launch" books, and single title contemporaries. She has coped with time travel, ghosts, trilogies, the dark side, the very light side, and just about everything in between. Hers is also the twisted mind behind her ongoing Maggie Kelly mystery series starring a former romance writer turned historical mystery writer whose gorgeous hunk of a fictional hero shows up, live and in color, in her Manhattan living room – to melt her knees, to help her solve murders, and to leave the top off her toothpaste. And, says Kasey, she's just getting started!

Series:
* His Chariot Awaits
* Lion On the Prowl
* Crown Family
* London Friends
* Chandlers Request
* The Trehan Brothers
* Maggie Kelly Mystery
* Romney Marsh
* Sunshine Girls

Reviews

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine drove me absolutely INSANE and ruined any possible enjoyment (1.5 stars)

I have been putting off writing this review; reading the book was a chore and I knew it would not be pleasant writing about it. I was really looking forward to reading this book, first in Michael's new Blackhorn Brothers Trilogy, because I had read the excerpt and the heroine at that time (however many years before the main story takes place) is an odd girl who apparently loves to read and isn't as beautiful as her sister. Great, I thought, just what I love! A bookish and smart odd-duck-out who is not drop-dead-gorgeous. Sadly, none of that describes the adult Chelsea. Adult Chelsea is one of the most annoying and selfish heroines I have ever had the displeasure to read. She made me want to turn violent. Towards a book. Not even a physical one - this was an ebook. Thankfully, my Nook survived the experience and remains unharmed. Proof of my admirable self-control.

The summary and basic plot reminded me of Amanda Quick's Reckless (4 stars), since both books are about younger sisters (the heroines) who end up seeking out the suitors their older sisters spurned years back who now want revenge as a result. In this instance, Chelsea is not in love with Oliver, or "Beau," but rather is trying to escape an extremely unpleasant arranged marriage her brother has set-up. Since she knows Oliver has been bent on revenge ever since being publicly humiliated by her older sister and brother, she figures he'll be happy to help her out since marrying her will be another nail in the coffin.

Praise, I guess ... ?
There are things that worked with this book. This is the first in a trilogy about three brothers who are all bastards, born into a very odd situation. In this book we only briefly meet the middle brother, but the other one is heavily featured and is very, very funny, adding a lot of humor to the story. Their mother is a traveling actress, their father is an aristocrat, the two are in love with one another, but since the mother didn't want to have to give up acting they never married. Instead, the father and brothers grew up on the country estate and the mother would come every year during the off-season and stay with them.

It was a nice change from the normal aristocrat-seduced-or-raped-the-mother-then-abandoned-her and the hero is always full of rage for his sire. Here, the parents love one another, they both love their children and their children love them, and it's actually their father who is the more selfless and loving parent and their mother who was, in a sense, the parent doing the abandoning. All three of the brothers have left-over resentment regarding this, and understandably so.

I also did like the hero, who had a good sense of humor and was caring and intelligent. He was a little bland and not really that interesting or compelling, but I think that since I SO disliked the heroine, the comparison made him come out way far ahead, despite these failings.

There was not a mystery subplot, which I often appreciate (a mini-one is thrown in at the end, but ended up being more a ploy to meet another character than to add any type of subplot). The book is solely focused on Chelsea and Beau trying to get to Scotland to get married and to stay ahead of her brother, want-to-be-fiance, and sister, who are in hot pursuit. The siblings were pretty horrid and there were some points where I thought that Michaels was going to actually give some depth to the brother and make him an interesting - though very flawed - three-dimensional character, dealing with his internal struggles, but then he would slip back into being an ass again.

The dialogue was decent and there were several funny lines.

The TATL Heroine Whom I Wanted to Slap Upside the Head
(TATL = too annoying to live; if it's not an abbreviation we've used before, it definitely should be)
So none of those things are exactly glowing recommendations and maybe couldn't have saved the book even if the heroine had not been the most annoying, exasperating, self-centered heroine I have read in awhile. Oh. My. Lord. I could not stand that girl! I have 17 status updates and most of them about her and my strong desire to do her violence.

The main personality trait that annoyed me, and that which really kicks the story off, is her utter disregard for what anyone else wants. She wants to escape this arranged marriage and that is completely understandable; the man she's engaged to is basically a crook, a religious man who pretends to be pious but really just milks her brother for money and entertains wildly archaic opinions regarding women, with a disturbing desire to punish and abuse them. Not nice. Agreed.

Chelsea breaks out of her locked room and goes to Beau and forces him to elope with her. Forget that maybe he doesn't want to marry her. Forget that though he wants revenge, maybe he doesn't want to tie himself to her for life since they don't even know each other. Forget that maybe he's in love with someone else and she could be ruining everything, having now basically compromised herself and forced his hand. He's not, but she doesn't know this - nor does she even ever ask! She shows up and literally just tells him to pack so they can go. Luckily, they end up falling in love and getting a HEA (big surprise), but frankly, I'm not sure why that happens because how Beau could want to tie himself to this woman for the rest of his life is absolutely beyond me. It's inexplicable - unless he's a masochist.

Also annoying in her treatment of him was her consistent "I'm saying no, but please understand it as yes" attitude. She gets annoyed with Beau when she continuously tells him to not put the moves on her, not look at her when she's not completely dressed, and not touch her ... and he obeys! God forbid. I understand if she doesn't want to be forward and that's in keeping with the times, but you don't have to play unbelievably hard to get and adamantly tell him to back off and then be upset when he actually listens to you. Contrary, contrary woman - or rather girl, because no maturity whatsoever.

She is pushy, orders him around, guilt-trips him when he hasn't done anything wrong, and forces him to completely overhaul his life for her even though they barely have a passing acquaintance. She also giggles frequently, which is SUCH a pet peeve of mine; our heroines are not prepubescent, okay, they can laugh for god's sake, they don't have to giggle. She's supposedly strong, then he glimpses this vulnerability because her chin quivers or she tears-up or some other such nonsense, but then she gathers herself and oh how admirable, what a woman. Are you kidding?! What a woman?!?! She's a selfish bitch on wheels. She should cry; if I were her I would want to cry also. So yes, I found her entirely unlikable and could not imagine why the hero fell in love with her. Not a great feeling to have for the heroine.

Blackhorn Brothers Trilogy
Book 1 - The Taming of the Rake
Book 2 - ?
Book 3 - ?

Bottom Line
Sorry to say it, but I wouldn't even recommend getting this book from the library, unless you're really into self-imposed torture or have a perverse fondness for TATL heroines. Chelsea was annoying and selfish; I was completely unable to like or respect her and could not begin to fathom why the hero would fall in love with her or want to bind himself for eternity to that shrew.

This review is of an advance reading copy provided by Harlequin through NetGalley.

[Alba Turunen · Rating 3 out of 5]

En realidad 3'5 estrellas. He tardado más de la cuenta en leerlo pero ha sido una causa totalmente ajena al libro, problemas personales que me han mantenido unos días alejada de mi afición preferida.

"La dama errante" es el primer libro que leo de Kasey Michaels. Lo compré en una tienda de chinos a 3'5€, de primerísima mano y en perfecto estado, así que ¿Por qué no? Bueno, pues la compra resultó acertada, no voy a decir que es una joya de libro, pero sí una novela muy entretenida que me ha convencido para continuar leyendo a esta escritora, o por lo menos continuar con esta serie.

Es el primer libro de la trilogía "Blackthorn" que tiene en común a los tres hermanos protagonistas de cada libro, y la particularidad es que los tres son hijos bastardos de un marqués. Fruto de la relación que mantiene su padre con su amante de toda la vida.

La novela empieza cuando el hijo mayor, Oliver, va a casa del conde Brean para declararse a su hija mayor, Madelyne, pero esta lo rechaza tajantemente por ser un bastardo, a lo que sigue la brutal paliza de Thomas, el heredero del conde. Desde tamaña humillación, Oliver juró vengarse de Thomas.

Han pasado siete años en los que Oliver ha crecido, ha madurado y ya no es ese jovenzuelo enamoradizo. Con una brillante carrera militar y los lujos que la posición de su padre le han permitido, aún espera poder vengarse de Thomas, el nuevo conde Brean. Lo que no espera es que el golpe de gracia contra los Brean, venga de parte de la hermana menor de esta familia.

Chelsea es la hermana pequeña del conde Brean, una joven a punto de cumplir su mayoría de edad, y que aún no ha pescado un marido debido a su lengua afilada. Es hermosa, es joven, pero mimada, caprichosa y egoísta, todo lo que puede esperarse de la hija de un conde. Chelsea solo tiene un problema, su hermano quiere casarla con su predicador, un sacerdote horripilante que ha estado aprovechándose de la mente débil y fanática de Thomas.

Así es como Chelsea planea escaparse de casa y de paso meter en el ajo a Oliver le Beau Blackthorn, sabiendo que una vez pretendió a su hermana, y que actualmente es el enemigo acérrimo de su hermano. Oliver se ve entre la espada y la pared, no quiere ni desea una esposa, pero sabe que si consigue a la hermosa Chelsea, su venganza contra Brean será perfecta.

Pronto el libro se convertirá en una "road movie" de la Regenia, donde veremos a nuestros protagonistas huyendo por toda Inglaterra y rumbo a Gretna Green para casarse como muchos de los matrimonios clandestinos que estaban de moda. Podría decirse que en el libro les ocurre de todo, y el viaje los deparará unas cuántas sorpresas y aventuras, y que tampoco estarán tan solos como creían, pues en buena parte del viaje los acompañará el hermano menor de Oliver, Puck, llamado así por la obsesión de su madre por Shakespeare.

Los personajes en general me han gustado, pero más Oliver que Chelsea. A veces él me parecía algo calzonazos por consentirle de todo a Chelsea, y ella al principio me caía muy, muy mal. Admito que aborrezco a las protagonistas que les gusta hacer, disponer y mandar a su manera sin tener en cuenta la opinión de los demás, y por supuesto que se creen por encima de todo el mundo, pero por suerte su personalidad empieza a dar un cambio cuando se va enamorando de Oliver.

El romance es bonito, pero tampoco es demasiado destacable. En el fondo se queda en un libro simpático y entretenido para pasar el rato, y lo bueno es que el estilo de la autora y el libro me ha convencido lo suficiente como para continuar con esta serie.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars out of 3.

If your main character is going to be super-sarcastic and bitchy, she must also have a softer side, a sense of humor, or something redeeming about her that makes you want to like her. Chelsea did not have that "other" side. She was pushy, demanding, used guilt to get her way, and basically manipulated Beau to get what she wanted. The ironic part of all this is, Chelsea, as a young girl, in the beginning of the book, showed a tender side. Sadly, that tenderness was nowhere to be found once she reached adult hood.

Beau, what can I say about Beau. I liked him. He had a sense of humor but he also had issues.

My problem is I didn't do my review right after I read the book. I rated it and moved on. Now, I forgot most of the story. I had to look at my updates just to remember what happened. That, in itself, speaks volumes about what I thought of the book.

It was simply forgettable.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a reason we tell people not to judge a book by its cover. Nothing from the outside gives you a real feel for what you'll find on the page here. First, I take issue with the title. Beau is not a rake and the book is in no way about changing his habits with women. Second, the cover is terrible: the models, his outfit... blech. And finally, the blurb. It makes this sound like it's about Beau's quest, with Chelsea as a distraction... when in fact, our heroine is truly the driving force in the story. Indulge me for a moment, and let me tell you about what you'll really find if you open up this book.

Chelsea's boor of an older brother Thomas wants to force her into marriage with a disgusting clergyman. So she makes a run for it, heading straight to the door of Beau Blackthorn. It's been seven years since she last saw him.... on the day he tried to propose to her older sister Madelyn. Not only did Madelyn spurn his affections, but Thomas horsewhipped him in the street for reaching above his station. Beau may be a man of means and education, but he and his brothers are bastards and will never truly be accepted by the Ton.

Over the years, Beau has been working secretly to ruin Thomas financially. And Chelsea knows all about it. So she presents him with an offer of marriage. It will allow her escape from her brother and give Beau a chance for true revenge against the man who humiliated him all those years ago. He accepts and the two of them go on the run to Gretna Green with Thomas, Madelyn and the Reverend in hot pursuit.

On their travels, we see a real relationship begin to develop for our couple of convenience. Chelsea is determined to press forward, to create a real marriage that Thomas cannot impeach. But she can't know how real the passion will be or that her emotions would become so invested. By the same token, Beau thinks he only accepted Chelsea's offer for its face value. He thinks after the debacle with Madelyn, he'll never love again --nor does he want to. But Chelsea is like no woman he's ever known. She is bold, honest and seems not to care at all about their social differences.

I really liked Beau. He's been kicked in the teeth, but still manages to be a good man. He's even more appealing because he doesn't see his own worth. Watching his tentative steps towards love is really quite nice. (And I'll admit, I enjoyed the love scenes too.)

There are also some really engaging secondary characters. Thomas is a fairly good foil. But the big draw is Beau's dysfunctional family. His mercurial brother Puck... his dark, mysterious brother Jack... his horrible, selfish mother. All were fascinating --and will make for some great future books.

There were only two things that really didn't work well for me. The writing style was, at times, a bit difficult to follow. By that, I don't mean the story was hard to follow, but rather, the sentences often felt like they had way too many words or phrases stuffed in them to read smoothly. Sometimes, there were so many dependent clauses crammed into one sentence, I'd have to go back and re-read it a couple of times to understand what it meant. The whole book wasn't written this way, but it happened enough times that it bothered me. Let me give you an example from the very first page:

"And so it was that, with the clouded vision of a man besotted, that the same Oliver Le Beau Blackthorn, raised to think quite highly of himself, the equal to all men, did, with hat figuratively in hand, hope in his heart and a bunch of posies clutched to his breast, bound up the marble steps to the mansion in Portland Place one fine spring morning and smartly rap the massive door with the lion's head brass knocker."

That is all one sentence.

My second problem was more of a plot issue. In the last quarter of the book Thomas ends up changing his outlook on life several times in just a few short chapters. I didn't really understand what drove the developments for his character once they neared Gretna Green and it kind of left me scratching my head.


But overall, I did enjoy the book. And I look forward to seeing what happens with the other Blackthorn brothers... especially Jack. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman ogah dipaksa menikah dgn pendeta Flockley, pendeta bermulut berbisa dan sangat korup. Sbg gantinya, Chelsea kabur ke tempat Oliver "Beau" Blackthorn, dan memaksa pria dan anak haram seorang marquis ini utk membawanya kawin lari ke Gretna Green.

Beau 7 thn yg lalu melakukan hal yg bodoh dgn melamar Madelyn, kakak Chelsea, yg menolaknya dan Beau berakhir dipecut oleh Thomas Mills-Beckman, si pewaris Earl Brean. Jadi ada dendam kesumat diantara dua keluarga ini dan tiada pembalasan dendam yg lebih baik dgn menodai Chelsea.

Dan kita dibawa petualangan mereka ke arah utara, ke Gretna Green yg penuh kelucuan dari kejadian-kejadian tak terduga. Mereka juga sempat singgah ke lahan Blackthorn, disanalah mereka menghadiri melayat bibi Beau yg baru meninggal, Bibi Abigail. Keluarga Beau yg absurd dan eksentrik membawa pemahaman baru bagi Chelsea.

Favorit saya dalam novel ini sebenarnya bukan Chelsea maupun Beau, melainkan Puck, adik bungsu Beau yg koplak dan sarkastik abis. Kalau gak ada Puck, saya rasa roh dlm novel ini banyak berkurang. Tapi saya juga menyukai karakter Chelsea yg juga pintar menyindir Beau & Puck, dan selalu tidak kekurangan memiliki gagasan-gagasan dan ide-ide aneh sepanjang perjalanan kawin lari mereka. Walaupun ada ketegangan krn mereka juga dikejar oleh Thomas yg membawa kroconya, Pendeta Flockley dan adiknya, Madelyn, tidak urung saya senyum-senyum mulu membaca saling hina diantara mereka semua.

Walaupun klimaks cerita agak anti-klimaks juga bagi saya, plot cerita menarik krn menyuguhkan suatu perjalanan cinta dua insan yg tadinya bermula dari asas mutualisma satu sama lain, menjadi saling mengenal satu sama lain dan berbuah mencintai satu sama lainnya juga, menerima kekurangan dan kelebihan masing-masing satu sama lainnya.

[Ana María · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una pavadita que intenta ser graciosa. Sí, está bien, lo consigue.
Pero la historia es una nadería al cubo.
La hermana de un conde malo que quiere casarla a la fuerza huye con el mayor enemigo.
Hacia Gretna Green, ya saben para qué.
Una especie de road-romance que se arregla en un pif-paf

[Bekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In an effort to escape marriage to a stuffy preacher who is quite oily, Chelsea Mills-Beckman escapes to Oliver "Beau" Blackthorn who has been seeking revenge against her brother from a humiliating set down he delivered on the front steps of their home after he dared to ask his sister’s hand in marriage. With Chelsea beating down his door, Beau finds the opportunity to exact revenge almost as irresistible as Chelsea herself.

This book started off with a really good prologue. I was completely engaged and really looking forward to finding out what happened to Beau and Chelsea. Their next meeting as mature adults was under the extreme emergency for Chelsea at least. I found it a little bit hasty and drastic for Beau to just go ahead with Chelsea’s plan to run off and immediately get married. I mean, really if someone you haven’t seen in 7 years burst into your home and declared that you must marry them, wouldn’t you take a bit of time, probably week’s worth of time coming to a decision if you even managed to let yourself consider it in the first place? So the plot was a little bit for me to swallow, but then I also had a major problem with the amount of words in the dialogue. It was quite lengthy and at times felt as though the characters were competing with one another over who could be the wittiest, wordiest person speaking. This is just a small sample of a tiny *part* in one conversation:

“One, my brother did you a great, unforgivable harm seven years ago. Two, he is by nature a very stupid man—and easily led, as you seem already to have ascertained on your own, hence the spoiled grapes. Three, just after our father died, Thomas became very ill and thought he was going to die before he could enjoy the fruits of our father’s labors now that he was earl. Four, he truly believes that Francis Flotley came into his life as a gift from God, the same God Thomas had made all manner of promises to if only the good Lord would allow him to rise from his sickbed. Five, Francis Flotley delivered Thomas’s promises to God, personally—yes, I know that’s insane, so you can stop making those odious faces at me—and now Thomas is not only still stupid and easily led, but he thinks he is on some holy path, and in charge of my soul, which he is not! Seven—”

“I think you skipped six,” Puck corrected helpfully.

“Sorry,” he added quickly, when Chelsea glared at him.

“Six,” she said heavily, “because I have chosen not to marry any man Thomas could like, he has decided to take me to Brean first thing tomorrow morning, lock me up and then marry me to Francis Flotley as soon as the banns can be read. In order to save my inferior female soul.”

“Seven,” Beau interrupted, holding up his hand, “as you were clever enough to ferret out that I am responsible for your brother’s financial plagues of locusts—don’t ask, Puck, just listen—you assumed, incorrectly, I might add, the reverend to also be one of my inventions. So that, eight, it is now my fault that you are to be bracketed to the man. Ergo, I am responsible for saving you from this fate, which I, nine, will somehow do by escorting you out of London with your brother in hot pursuit and out for my blood. For which, ten, you will offer me some sort of favor in return. To which, one, but not to worry because my list is quite short, I say no."

It was at times just exhausting trying to follow all of the dialogue going on. We find ourselves following Chelsea and Beau’s journey to Scotland to wed and consummate the nuptials and all the barriers they face along the way – all the while finding that they are falling bit by bit in love with one another. I did find it amusing at times, and the slow building romance between Chelsea and Beau was sweet. Unfortunately I didn’t fall in love with the other brothers and doubt that I will check into their books. This book is good for those who enjoy massive amounts of witty repartee, and their steam on the slightly cooler side. You will also enjoy this book if you like a plot that is fast moving, with lots going on and input from all kinds of characters sprinkled throughout. It’s definitely a romping ride!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second book in this series (A Midsummer Night's Sin) first, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I thought I'd check out this one. I'm glad I did, because this was such a fun book! I've been in a reading slump lately, and this was exactly what I needed to pull me out of it.
This had all the elements in it (that I require) be a great Trashy-Romance novel. There was the spunky/sassy heroin, the hero who doesn't realize he's whipped, delicious villains, great side characters that you can't wait to find out more about, and a background mystery that will obviously not be revealed until the last book.
Having already read Puck's story, I was mostly interested in learning more about the third brother...Black Jack. I only hope my expectations are not too high, because I think I was already a little in love with him when I started this one. Fortunately, the library just sent me an email...and I am now the proud borrower of the book Much Ado About Rogues!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a little fun!

[Fae · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off great, but it became super draggy afterwards. I liked the banter between the hero and heroine. However, I felt too many things were happening on their way to Gretna green that did not contribute to the romance or the bonding between the hero and heroine.

Also, the conversations that did not include the bantering between them bored the heck out of me. It was long and some of it felt unnecessary. It feels as if the author just wrote a bunch of random sentences just to make the book longer.

There was also too much inner thinking, which I skimmed. A disappointing read as it could have been much better, had the author focused on the bonding and the romance between the hero and heroine, instead of making the conversations unnecessarily long, and never ending inner thoughts and things happening that did not help the romance at all.

[Isa Sulistyorini]

Review Soon!

[Zora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically the plot of The Corinthian but much more modern and funny. A romp. The Blackthorn Brothers are charming and the other two than Beau seem even more complex and interesting than this one. I laughed aloud several times at the repartee and the heroine's wry thoughts.

This is one of those romances you read and think "These two people are truly going to be happy together."

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

This was my first book from Kasey Michaels and I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though the title is misleading. I believed that this was going to be a book where the heroine tames the Rake. It could not be more further from the truth.

Oliver 'Beau' Blackthorn, is in no way a rake as the title leads us to believe. I found him to be the complete opposite. Instead of a man who sleeps with gaggles of women and drinks profusely, we find a man that is responsible, cares about his family, and is an all-around good guy. Yes, he's hung up on getting revenge with his rival Thomas Mills-Beckman, the future Earl of Brean, but with good reason. Seven years ago, Beau found himself in love and attempted to propose marriage to the deceitful Madelyn who is Thomas' sister. Thomas intercepted and whipped Beau repeatedly as a warning to stay away. No way would his sister be marrying a Bastard. Now seven years later, Beau has been slowly enacting his revenge on Thomas.

When Thomas attempts to force his youngest sister Lady Chelsea into a marriage she doesn't want to the odious Reverend Flotley, Chelsea decides to get help from the one man her brother hates most, Beau Blackthorn. She knows of Beau's revenge attempts and she believes that if she can get him to run away with her and elope to Gretna Green it will be the answer for both of them. Beau would be able to get the ultimate revenge by marrying Chelsea, and Chelsea would be out from under the control of her dominating brother, and she also gets out of marrying the intolerable Reverend Flotley. Neither really cares for one another, but they decide it's worth it to get what they want.

Along their journey to Gretna Green we learn more about Beau and the type of person he is and where he comes from. We are introduced to his other brothers along with his mother and father. I really enjoyed getting to know his youngest brother Puck. He really is quite witty and always has something to say. I can't wait to read read about his HEA in his future book. He really was such a tease when it came to Beau.

Though the book tends to drag on at times I really enjoyed watching Chelsea and Beau getting to know one another. We are able to see them both develop their feelings, and it was quite refreshing to watch them both fall in love. It wasn't instantaneous, and it didn't feel rushed. I loved watching the banter between them both. I did have some issue with a plot line that occurs towards the end of the book. I felt like it just didn't really go with the story and that it was just thrown in as a set-up for future books. It felt disconnected for me and I could have done without it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this story and the characters that we are introduced to. I can't wait to see what's in-store for the rest of the series.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

[SidneyKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Road Trip! Road Trip! Road Trip! Saddle up those ponies we are off on an adventure!

Kasey Michaels has been around for quite awhile. In fact, a number of her older books are some of my favorites, but I've been disappointed in her newer offerings. I opened The Taming of the Rake with a little trepidation. Have you ever picked up a book and from the very first page, just knew that it was going to be a humdinger? Well, my fellow readers, Ms. Michaels' latest is that and I was more than delighted to find a little bit of the old Kasey Michaels hiding in those chapters.

This is the beginning of a new series about the three illegitimate Blackthorne brothers: Beau, Puck and Jack. The first story is about the eldest brother, Beau, and his nemesis, the heroine, Chelsea.

As I read this story, it became hard for me to say which of these two characters I liked best. I love Chelsea - she reminded me a lot of some of the women from a Preston Sturges movie - rapid-fire, snappy, smart dialog - quick witted and always one step ahead of the hero. This doesn't mean she's mean, it's just she has a wise-cracking mouth. However, she has a brain to go with that mouth. She also sees the frailties of the people surrounding her, especially our hero Beau.

Beau. What a wonderful hero. And the moniker of rake is misleading; he's more of a a bad boy. Beau's character is also loaded with fun dialog, but there seem to be more layers to him. And, after being introduced to his mother and father, a lot of his layers are explained. Ms. Michaels has created quite a fascinating dysfunctional family. I'm really looking forward watching the family dynamics unfold. Beau's brother Puck plays a large part in this book and while he seems a bit of a frivolous fellow, I suspect there's a lot that doesn't meet the eye. Jack has a smaller part in the book; however, his character seemed to be a lot darker. And wait till you meet the mother - what an appalling woman!

Back to Beau. I loved watching him as he fell in love - it was a mighty struggle, but pretty funny.

The is also a trio of villains, or as they end up, a trio of not very nice sleazy people. They were even interesting, but I doubt we will see them in the next books.

The Taming of the Rake was a great story of two people who have an adventure and along the way discover love. I was on my way to giving this book a really high rating, except there was just one too many adventures or maybe two to many. And even though there was an explanation given for the enmity between Beau and Chelsea's brother, I found it a little lacking considering how many lives were disrupted. But those were just minor quibbles in an otherwise wonderful book. For those of you who are fans of Ms. Michaels, you're going to like this one. And for those of you who have never read her, this is a good one to start with.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one turned out to be unexpectedly sweet and tender, with a hero who's basically a good, decent man who has nothing to do with the 'Rake' on the title.

Lady Chelsea is told by her brother, the Earl of Brean, that she's to marry a man of his choosing, a conniving priest who's playing her brother for a fool ever since he (=the brother) had a close brush with death two years ago. In her despair, Chelsea escapes her brother's house and goes to his arch-enemy, Oliver Beau Blackthorn, asking him to marry her instead. This way, Beau can achieve his revenge on her brother and she will be out of her brother's and the priest's clutches. After some thinking Beau agrees to elope with her and with the help of his brother Puck, they start their long journey towards Gretna Green. However, many obstacles appear on their way and what starts as a typical journey, ends as an adventure and a journey of discovery for both of them.

Beau is essentially a good, clever and dutiful man, who unfortunately had to learn the hard way that all these traits matter less than nothing when you're born on the wrong side of the blanket. You can act as a gentleman, but will never be accepted as such by the ton. The Earl of Brean has hurt Beau deeply, but after getting to know Chelsea, he's quick to realise how different from her brother and sister she is. I liked the fact that he sees her as her own person, with a mind and will of her own and doesn't hold her family against her. Soon, he's beginning to understand that he's gaining much more than he expected out of this deal and doesn't hide it from himself or from Chelsea. He's protective and possessive of her and at the same time he doesn't try to smother her fiery spirit but rather admires her for it.

I also liked Chelsea a lot. She was witty, willful, honest and also bossy and impetuous, but she's basically well-intentioned. She soon starts to see the man Beau is behind the bastard's label, his strength, his devotion to his family, his decency and starts falling for him. Sure, she spoke sharply sometimes, but it came to me as snarky humor, rather than actual meanness on her part.

In the end, it was a nice story between two lonely people who slowly fell in love with each other. The adventures on their way added a nice touch of humor and spice in their tale and kept me delightfully entertained. The pace was ok, neither too fast nor too slow and the style sweeter than I usually like but still not sticky sweet which would have ruined it for me. I'm really looking forward to reading the other two brothers' stories, especially Jack's, the darker of the two Blackthorn brothers.

[Kristiej · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading this book I wondered why I hadn’t been reading as many historicals in recent times as I really enjoyed this book – everything about it. From the stubborn but not annoying (to me) heroine Chelsea Mills-Beckham, to the scrumptious hero Oliver (Beau) Blackthorn to the well drawn secondary characters, this book was such a pleasure to read.

Beau and Chelsea first meet years earlier when he is coming to call on her older and very spoiled sister. But alas, his suite is not at all welcome as he has the unfortunate stigma of being a bastard born. Not only is he thrown out of the home, he is whipped like a dog by the older brother.

Fast forward to years later and Chelsea is all grown up and about to be married against her will and wishes to a wet-mouthed dour reverend who has a secret hate on for women. Her brother, still a nasty piece, has changed his ways after a real scare with chicken pox and embraced the horrid man of the cloth. In order to escape this farce of a wedding,

Chelsea high tails it to the home of Beau and suggests they elope to Gretna Green, she to avoid marriage and to Beau’s benefit a way to get back for the humiliation done to him years ago. Beau agrees to the scheme to ‘get even’. Beau is currently being visited by his devil-may-care brother Puck and the three of them set off on a road trip to Gretna Green.

I found this book charming. I loved the character of Chelsea. I can see why she might get on some readers nerves, she’s quite bossy, but Beau or Oliver as she kept insisting on calling him, thought she was a ‘character’ and when the readers sees her through his eyes, well, I thought she was one too.

And Beau makes for a most fine hero. Although he’s been limited in society by his bastard status, he’s still managed to make a good life for himself. He made good friends when he joined the army after being treated so cruelly years earlier. He’s making a successful living looking after his fathers estates even though he can’t inherit them. While not wild about his situation and he does hold a certain anger at his parents because of their selfishness, especially his mother, he doesn’t hold any bitterness.

I also love the character of Puck, the youngest brother. He is with Beau and Chelsea much of the time and seems to be a real hoot. His book is out now too and although it didn’t get that high a grade at AAR, I still think I’ll give it a go if only to read more on the third rather mysterious black sheep brother Jack.

With books like this one out there, I think I’m going to have to rethink my reading habits and take up reading more historicals.

[Lisarenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. Release date is set for July 26th.

Oliver Le Beau Blackthorne fell in love seven years ago. The object of his affection was Lady Madelyn Mills-Beckman. After working up the nerve to inquire if she'd be open to his asking her father for her hand, she struck him down rather crushingly.

"You're a joke, Beau Blackthorn, a laughingstock to everyone in Mayfair, and you're the only one who doesn't know it. As if I or any female of decency in the ton would deign to align herself with a-a bastard like you."

Additionally, her brother saw his inquiry as a slight to the family and beat him with a horsewhip. From that day on he vowed to never make a fool of himself again by falling in love. He also vowed to one day have his revenge. He never dreamed, however, that the perfect revenge would come in quite so lovely a package, or that it'd fall right into his lap.

Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman had had enough of her numskull brother. His plan to marry her off to Reverend Francis Flotley was the last straw. Reverend Flotley thought "a woman's role is to obey, and her greatest gift her compliance with the superior wisdom of men. Let her gently be led in her inferior intellect, like the sheep in the field..."

Chelsea was no fool and she definitely was not fooled by the likes of the Reverend Francis Flotley. If he truly was a Reverend, which she highly doubted. With limited options, she decided the situation called for drastic measures, and she knew just the method to use....

I truly loved watching the relationship between Chelsea and Oliver grow from a mutual attraction into something beautiful. The main characters were lovable, and we got introduced to all three of the Blackthorn brothers. I enjoyed the fact the brothers were named by their mother after characters in Shakespearean plays. Oliver Le Beau was named for a character from 'As You Like It', Don John (aka Jack) was named after a character in 'Much ado About Nothing', and, Robin Goodfellow (aka Puck) is named for a character from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Our meeting of Jack, the middle brother, was rather brief and seemed like it was just thrown in to introduce him, but as this is part of a trilogy, I suspect we will later learn more of what was truly going on. I gave this book a rating of 4 out of 5 roses. I look forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy.

If you'd like to read more of my reviews, please check out my blog:
www.seducedbyabook.com

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.com.

Expected Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN
Author’s Website: http://www.kaseymichaels.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Blackthorn Brothers
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

The illegitimate son of a marquess, Oliver was raised and educated far above his station. He lived with his father in his grand estate, received an education befitting the legal heir of a marquess, and was incredibly wealthy. Unfortunately, being brought up in such an accepting environment also left him quite naive. At age 22, he failed to see that society viewed him as a joke — a bastard son who would never truly be one of them. It was because of this naiveté that he failed to realize that his suit to the lovely Madelyn was only a prank on her part, culminating in his very painful, and very public, humiliation at the hands of her brother.

Barely more than a child at the time of that incident, Lady Chelsea is now in grave danger of being married off to the most horrible man she can imagine — Francis Flotley — a man who has not only conned his way into her brother’s life by claiming to be a spiritual leader, but one who very plainly hates women and will take great pleasure in breaking Chelsea, physically and mentally, once they are married. Given just a moment to formulate her escape, she runs to Oliver’s lodgings, knowing that if she can convince him to elope with her, that she will not only be able to escape her fate with Mr. Flotley, but that she can offer Oliver the one thing that tempts him the most: the ultimate revenge against her brother.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this one. I do adore a good revenge plot, and I loved that despite his disillusions he was much more of a gentleman than others in the story who actually carried the title. While the trip to Gretna Green seemed to take much longer than I’d have liked it, the pacing actually worked fairly nicely as it allowed Oliver and Chelsea to actually get to know one another before saying their vows.

Recommended for fans of sudden elopements, heroes on the outer rungs of society, revenge plots, and convoluted family arrangements. 4/5 Stars

[Heather Book Savvy Babe · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, let me just say the the title is a bit mis-leading. Beau is not a rake, he is practical, vengeful, and smart, but he is not a womanizer. He is a bastard by birth, but more gentlemanly than many members of the ton. The title lead me to think that Chelsea was out to reform a rake while escaping her brothers plans for her. Chelsea was escaping her brother's plans, but reforming a rake was not necessary. Chelsea was running from an engagement to a dirty-minded charlatan of a reverend and the only person she could think of to run to was the long-time enemy of her brother, Beau Blackthorn. Chelsea convinced Beau that by eloping with her, they would both benefit, Chelsea would be saved from a horrible marriage, and Beau would get revenge on Chelsea's brother. So, the two were off to Scotland to be married as soon as possible, before Chelsea's brother caught them. As they spent time together on the road to Scotland, it became more likely that theirs could be more than a marriage of convenience.

I really liked this book, especially the characters. I was not sure what to make of Chelsea at first, she has a very dual nature. She is determined and selfish, but also smart and dedicated. There were times when she was almost obnoxious with her demands, not considering anyone but herself. Then again, when times got rough, she held her own and didn't complain. I grew to appreciate her character as the story went on. I really loved the Blackthorn brothers though. Beau was the more realistic brother who knew who he was and made the best of his situations. He handled Chelsea's demands with aplomb. Beau's brothers, Puck and Black Jack are intriguing characters as well, and I look forward to reading their stories in the future.

The characters do not spend a lot of time in London, in the ton setting with balls and soirees. The focus is on the main characters, their plight, and the development of their relationship. The Taming of the Rake gives a realistic bent to elopement in historical England, with dirty traveling conditions and fear of being caught. The romance develops throughout the story, and all together, The Taming of the Rake is a really good read.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK. This book provided to me by netgalley is fluff. I admit it. Hands up. Bright, smart, witty heroine, plus gorgeous, smart, witty hero, lots of jolly japes etc. etc. BUT.. I found this to be wonderful fluff. If you want to give your brain a rest, or just don't want some anguished, emotional read and simply want to be entertained, then this is the perfect, summer/beach, weekend read.

I particularly enjoyed the witty writing, which was completely inauthentic (I mean really inauthentic), but still flowed nicely, kept me engaged and even chuckle out loud at a couple of points.

Even the plot (hero and heroine encounter unlikely difficulties and then lurve en route to Gretna Green) whilst really rather OTT, wasn't eye-rollingly awful, and fitted well with the light writing style and the characters of the hero and heroine. Now, the hero and heroine themselves weren't exactly deep and meaningfully attractive characters, but again, they fitted the plot and the writing style, and weren't unbearably thick or irritating. My only complaints would be that the heroine was a little too smart at times (although I did like that she half-formulated plans and sounded more confident than she was, and was also something of a lusty virgin), and the hero could have been a bit less wishy-washy for someone with supposedly a considerable amount of foot soldier experience.

This is my first read by this author, but I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the other two in the series for moments when I really just need something for the beach or when I'm jetlagged and don't want to engage my emotions, but just want to be entertained, and left with a smile on my face when I read the last cheesy line.

3.5 stars. I took half a star away for giving the heroine such a dreadful name. I really struggle to believe any woman before the 1980s would have been called after a London borough.

[Nita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Chelsea has just been informed by her brother, Thomas, she is to marry his very religious and cruel friend. She decides to run away and elope to a man of her choosing. And she chooses Oliver Blackthorn - a man she knows Thomas hates.

Oliver Blackthorn is the oldest son of a marquess, but his father and mother never married. His mother refused because she would rather travel around as an actress. Being a bastard had never bothered Oliver, until he proposed to Chelsea's sister years earlier and was denied and humiliated by Thomas for presuming a bastard could ever marry the daughter of an earl. Thomas and Oliver have been enemies ever since. And now Oliver has been given the perfect revenge - marrying Chelsea.

I am very picky about my humor. I tend to find darker or geekier things funny. The author did go for the funny in this book and I actually found it charming. Much of it was Chelsea and Oliver's teasing each other. I guess I would call their relationship adorable. The dialogue between these two characters was my favorite part of this book. Chelsea is not shy or unsure of herself in the least. She is not afraid to express herself or her ideas. She actually may be a little too headstrong. But Oliver comes to like that about her.

The plot was fine - nothing terribly exciting, but not dragging either. Much of the story is Chelsea and Oliver trying to make it to Scotland before Thomas. And, of course, they get to know each other on the way. They are, throughout their journey, sometimes joined by the youngest Blackthorn, Puck, and they have a surprise run in with the most mysterious of the three brothers, Jack.

My one big beef with the book is the title. Oliver is not a rake. After the incident with Chelsea's sister, he swears off love, but he does not become a rake in the full meaning of the term. The title does not really fit.

Give this book a read if you are looking for a sweet and funny historical romance.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

[Amanda Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read of Kasey Michaels. The Taming of the Rake is the story of Chelsea taking the reins of her future into her own hands. Her boorish and ignorant brother has forced a betrothal to a monstrous man of faith. Rather than indignantly suffer, she absonds into the early morning hours and sees refuge in the house of her brother's sworn enemy, Oliver "Beau" Blackthorn.

Despite her rash actions, Chelsea is a reasonable woman. She's knowledgeable in most worldly matters, and she knows what she's done has likely ruined any future chances of respectability. She also knows it will infuriate her brother, a particular perk.

Beau has history with Chelsea's family, a history that entices him to accept her offer of a hasty marriage. His ultimate goal is to, more or less, strike at the heart of Chelsea's brother. They immediately hasten to Gretna Green, encountering one setback after another, as well as having to deal with their unavoidable attraction.

There were things I liked about this book, and other things I didn't. For one, the banter between Chelsea, Beau, and Beau's brother, Puck, is pretty funny. Chelsea is unusually frank, Beau is cynical, and Puck is...well, he lives up to his name sake as a jokester. This repore, though humorous, gets old after a bit, and I found myself skimming through parts that didn't ultimately feel detrimental to the plot. The action was lagging at times, but once things picked up, so did my interest.

All in all, The Taming of the Rake is a fun read, but one I'm likely not to venture into again. I may, however, be interested in picking up the next saga for the next Blackthorn brother.

The Taming of the Rake by Kasey Michaels

Rating: C

Romance: 2/5 Raunch: 2/5

[Shh I'm reading! · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Blackthorns and Chelsea, as characters. Beau, Black Jack, Puck are bastard brothers (and I have my own suspicions about this going forward with the series) who were raised as gentlemen by their father. Lady Chelsea, the heroine, is the only decent sibling in the Mills-Beckman clan. Her brother and sister are hopelessly one dimensional- self-absorbed and despicable. I won't go into to much detail about the plot, but the story which began as entertaining began to drag in the middle. How many hi-jinks can ensue on the way to eloping to Gretna Green? The story would have been better served, in my opinion to abbreviate elopement and show what happens after. Kasey Michaels introduces the tale to readers by discussing how important birth is to society and how it takes a special woman to commit to one of these brothers, but never shows them interacting with people other than family members. Maybe if there was more dynamic of them together within society, and doing things other than avoiding Chelsea's family I could believe and enjoy their HEA.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. I thought at times Chelsea and Olivers re-capping of why Chelsea came to Oliver and why they were where they were got excessive. But other then that I really enjoyed the read. I loved the character development, the romance, the way Chelsea and Oliver attracted weird events, the banter between the 3 brothers, as well as the Blackthorn family quirks. I can't wait to read the next in the series to see how the brothers change from finding love!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

Lately I’ve been lucky enough to read several books by newly published authors, and it has been so exciting to see the fresh ideas and voices that these authors bring to their novels. That said, it was a distinct pleasure to delve into a book by such an accomplished novelist as Kasey Michaels. Despite her more than 100 books published, many written in the Regency era, this long-time reader of regency romance had never read one of Ms. Michaels’ books. After reading the first book in her new Blackthorn Brothers series, that will definitely be changing. The Taming of the Rake is a delightful Regency romance that at heart is a road trip novel. In my experience, nothing reveals one’s true character like travelling, and I freely admit to being a less than ideal traveler. Fortunately, the characters in The Taming of the Rake are much more pleasant travel companions than I, leaving us with a hero and heroine who begin their trip to Gretna Green as mere acquaintances but end it as friends and lovers.

The novel begins with young buck Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn, illegitimate son of a Marquess and actress mother, making his way to Lady Madelyn Mills-Beckman’s townhouse in London to propose marriage. As the lady has not expressed displeasure with his attentions and he’s madly in love, he believes his suit to be welcome. Unfortunately, that could not be further from the truth, as her brother Thomas has Beau tossed from the house and held down by footmen so he can give Beau a sound whipping. At that moment Beau realizes that his belief that he was accepted among the ton despite his illegitimacy has proved false, and he vows to act accordingly in the future.

Fast forward seven years, and we witness Thomas Mills-Beckman informing his youngest sister, Chelsea, that she will be marrying the odious Reverend Francis Flotley, even if Thomas has to lock her up in their country home to force her compliance. Realizing that Thomas is in earnest, Lady Chelsea decides to take action and flees from her home straight to the bachelor pad of one Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn. This is not as random an act as it initially appears. Chelsea had witnessed the humiliating whipping seven years ago and has realized that the recent financial losses her brother has steadily been experiencing are thanks to Mr. Blackthorn. While she wouldn’t deny him his revenge, her belief that he has inflicted the Reverend Flotley on her brother’s household and now upon herself leaves her with no choice but to confront Oliver.

This confrontation occurs immediately following Oliver’s thirtieth birthday, and the celebration with his brother Robin Goodfellow “Puck” Blackthorn has left him with a lovely hangover. Oliver freely admits to Chelsea that he has been behind the constant flow of questionable financial schemes her brother has found himself in, but Oliver has never even heard of Francis Flotley. He admits that he wishes he had thought of the idea, as it would be an amusing revenge. Instead, he decides that he will accept Lady Chelsea’s plan to elope, as that will be the ideal revenge against a man who would not allow his other sister to marry a bastard. The two elope, and their numerous adventures on the way to Gretna Green draw them closer, making it more difficult to resist anticipating the marriage than either expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for two reasons. The first is that the romance between the hero and heroine develops gradually over time. You truly come to believe that Lady Chelsea and Oliver have become friends over the course of their travels together. Their adventures are frequently uncomfortable, since at times neither of them has a change of clothes, but they find ways to overcome each obstacle. When they begin their elopement, each is perfectly clear that s/he is using the other for his/her own gain. Chelsea wants to escape marriage to the wet-mouthed Flotley, and Oliver wants to revenge himself upon her brother. But despite their initial reasons for acting, they grow to like and eventually love one another, and it makes for a sweet romance. Chelsea learns to care for this son of two very selfish parents who never considered how their actions would have a profound impact on his and his brothers’ futures. The revelations of how Oliver’s parents relationship came to be are equal parts poignant and troubled. Chelsea can’t help feeling for him, and her ability to surprise Oliver with her understanding and unfailing optimism leads to his falling for a woman who under any other circumstances would be out of his reach.

After reading everything I’ve written so far, you’d never guess that the second reason I enjoyed this novel so much is that it is so. very. funny. It is, in fact, HILARIOUS. While Oliver strives to overcome his illegitimacy by working hard, his youngest brother Puck seeks acceptance through flippancy and lightheartedness. Puck has some side-splitting one-liners that will have you laughing out loud. At one point he tells Oliver that “there are worse things than marriage to a rich, handsome and eminently affable bastard. That would be me, you understand. You’re just rich and passably handsome.” But the zingers aren’t limited to Puck. Chelsea can hold her own, and she does so on frequent occasion. At one point she informs Puck, “It’s not a proper elopement if one brings one’s brother along. Especially one who sings.” But it’s Oliver who points out that Puck and Chelsea “suit each other so well, the both of you missing several slates off your roofs.” The laughter stemming from each of the three madcaps involved in this elopement (because Oliver does indeed bring his brother along for parts of the journey) is vitally necessary to the love deprived Chelsea and illegitimate Oliver.

If I had to find fault with the novel, it is that Chelsea and Oliver begin their journey as such selfish characters. Chelsea storms into Oliver’s home, leaving him little recourse except to accept her plan to marry, whether he is in fact guilty of inflicting the Reverend Flotley on her or not. If the elopement fails, Oliver would face overwhelming consequences, such as imprisonment or hanging, because of the circumstances surrounding his birth. Chelsea doesn’t acknowledge her selfish actions at all, and it’s not an endearing trait. Oliver also acts to ensure his revenge, despite knowing that marriage to him will entail social ruin for his future wife and children. He, however, does recognize the possible consequences of his actions and makes it clear to Chelsea on several occasions that they can turn back and she can still avoid paying the price for her precipitous actions. In this, he is a far more likeable character than Chelsea.

I can’t recommend Ms. Michaels’ The Taming of the Rake highly enough. The choice of a road trip novel set in regency era England strikes me as ingenious, and I love the characters. But the best part for me is that the witty repartee kept me in stitches, which has me anxious to read future installments of this series.

(I would like to point out two problems I have with the cover of this book that are clearly not Ms. Michaels' fault. First, Oliver is blonde and the man on the cover is brunet. Second, the title is "The Taming of the Rake," yet he's not really a rake. I wish the publisher would take note, since they are usually the ones choosing cover art and suggesting titles.)

I received a copy of this book for review from the Publisher through NetGalley.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hit all the right notes for some easy reading and had some love scenes in it. A break for my brain you could say.

Lady Chelsea is about to be given away in marriage, which is normal during this time period. Too bad she thinks her brothers choice is a pig with a ‘wet mouth’. So she runs away to the very man her brother, and sister, detest more than anything.... bastard Oliver ‘Beau’ Blackthorn. He has revenge in his mind after being humiliated by Chelsea’s sister in refusing his marriage proposal some 7 years before and her brother whipping him out the door. And Chelsea is the perfect revenge.

So off they fly to Gretna Green to get married. Chelsea would rather be married to mysterious dark and handsome Oliver than fanatical priest her brother wants. Along the way they have grand adventures out maneuvering her brother, seeing Oliver’s family, getting to know his brothers and helping people along the way. They also discover a great passion for each other and the protection is fierce for both of the them when they get to Gretna.

Now the bad points..... it was WAY longer than it should have been. I can count at least two side stories that really didn’t need to be there, but I preserve. Also the language is a little grandiose for the subject matter. I mean we are not reading Mark Twain so we need to calm down on the old English. And the ending was meh. The end result was being built over the whole book, her brother coming to Gretna to kill basically Oliver and Oliver throwing his life on the line for Chelsea. And then when they meet it’s like a meeting in a board room. Very lackluster. It served the love part for me and after reading a book on murder previously it hit the spot in some way.

[Susan Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read with great dialogue. The two main characters are likeable and the romance blossoms in a humorous way. Our hero's brothers, the only other intriguing/likeable characters, are introduced and featured in the next two books.

The title is totally misleading. Oliver, aka Beau, is not a rake and, if anyone needs taming, it's Chelsea, who is extremely smart but impulsive. The blurb on the back is totally inaccurate. Chelsea uses Oliver to escape marriage to a religious fanatic her brother wants her to marry. She bribes Oliver into marriage by telling him he can further his revenge on her horrid family by marrying her.

All the brothers are bastards due to their selfish mother and insipid father. For some reason that escapes me, bastards in the story's timeframe were scorned through no fault of their own. So when our young hero proposes marriage to Chelsea's selfish tease of a sister seven years ago, her sister and brother are incensed and her brother literally whips him. Oliver joins the army and Chelsea's brother continues to plague him through third parties. When Oliver returns home he plots his revenge. Chelsea learns about his plans to financially ruin her brother and uses the knowledge to convince Oliver to marry her.

The author's portrayal of our heroine's brother's character is confusing as there is a period where we think he will redeem himself, but he really doesn't. There are also some scenes (ie. encountering a young couple who are also eloping) that did really didn't add anything to the story.

But the witty banter makes it worth the read.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was craving something diverting and historical romance is always my go to when I just want to be distracted by a fun book.

I read the majority of this in one push, late at night when my brain had decided it didn't need sleep so my opinions may be influenced by sleep deprivation but I liked this. I know a lot of people are complaining about the MC but I didn't really find her that bad? Yea, she had her obnoxious moments but I chalked most of her "bad" qualities up to her naivete and didn't think they made her a terrible person. I certainly didn't think she was irredeemable.

I will say that the last third of the book (which I read after getting some sleep) was a little harder to get into it but I still thought it was fine. I'd say it was a high 2/low 3 overall rating.

I would say that my biggest issue was that the stakes are relatively low, the villain here is portrayed as a kind of bumbling moron and we get their POV quite often so we know exactly what they're up to. There's no mystery and it seems like there's never any real danger of them stopping the hero/heroine. There also seems to be no real point to the reverend and it made me wonder if he would pop up in a future book.

As I write this I feel like I'm talking myself into a lower rating... idk it was a quick read, not the best historical romance I've ever read but also very far from the worst. I look forward to the rest of the series because the other two brothers seem interesting.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

One man’s whipping sets a course of events that ultimately takes a path of vengeance and turns it into a journey of love. A reader will figure out that the two beleaguered protagonists will get their happily ever after, eventually. What happens along the way however, is a grand bit of storytelling where some of the characters end up in very different places than what a reader is initially presented.

Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn is the eldest of the Blackthorn brothers. For all of his aura of responsibility, cunning and deviousness there remains a youthfulness to him. A reader will see it early on but will also see how it got destroyed. After reading this story and watching him fall in love with Chelsea, I don’t think it was demolished as much as suppressed, hidden and denied. It didn’t serve him well at all in the beginning. But with the heroine, elements and hints of the young, hopeful and earnest man he once was start to surface. He learns to trust her and like a flower unfurling in the sun, Oliver experiences emotions and feelings he never thought he would. Certainly he had no idea what to do with them, and that was the beginning of the entertainment.

Chelsea’s character is many things but the one thing that tops them all is, she’s fun. I got a charge out of how alternately smart she was, then blushingly innocent, before shocking the hero with her cheeky wit and stunning him with her plans. You see, she always comes up with a plan. It may sound silly, it may be over the top or just plain genius, but she always comes up with something. And it cracked me up every time. It was one of the best things about her because of what it did to the hero. I can just imagine the author rubbing her hands briskly together with an evil “bwahahaaa” as she concocted another predicament to toss at the hero and heroine. It was one snafu after another and Chelsea never took no for an answer, nor did she ever take a defeatist attitude. She was plucky, inventive and quite charming. Oliver never stood a chance.

The first set of secondary characters is the Blackthorn siblings. I was introduced quite thoroughly to Puck. Again, I found myself giggling as I imagined this poor beset upon young man having to travel all over the country, chasing after his brother and hopefully wife-to-be. He was a cheery sort and seemed rather vacuous in demeanor. Nothing could be further from the truth. The scene at the Crown showed he was made of sterner stuff. Also he has the ability to think on his feet and is as dedicated and loving to his brothers as a reader could wish. He was a great support cast and I enjoyed getting to know him. Good thing too because the next book is about him. I’m excited. As for the other brother, Jack, the author pretty much kept me in the dark but threw some very interesting tidbits to whet a reader’s appetite for the future. He’s a real mystery not only to me but to his own family. Very cool.

The other secondary characters are the bad ones. They either participated in the wrongs of the past or are perpetuating future grievous harm now. The ‘crow’ was truly the evil in the piece. It takes one to know one and ironically, Chelsea’s sister recognized him for what he was right off of the bat. In a way, I liked her shrewish disposition because it was entertaining and I could tell she enjoyed twisting the figurative knife. Chelsea’s brother is a bully. He’s not inherently evil, but he’s not a nice person. I sort of pitied him – but only a little. Even the bad brother had his own epiphany by the end of the story, but the truth didn’t enlighten him for long. After learning about him, I don’t think he could have responded any other way. He wasn’t a strong man of character. In fact, sour grapes was quite fitting for him. Once you read the book, you’ll know what I’m making reference to.

The family dynamics between Oliver’s family and Chelsea’s was fascinating to read about. The author took great pains to make sure I understood how unconventional the Blackthorn brother’s childhoods were. It is on the one hand sad and on the other, really bizarre, especially for the time period. Chelsea’s was normal yet that isn’t a compliment.

I was completely charmed by the verbal byplay between Oliver and Chelsea, and then again between Oliver and his brother, Puck. It kept the story lively, intriguing and faced paced. Another thing
Ms. Michael’s did extremely well was having Oliver introduce the heroine to ‘what the fuss was all about’ between a husband and wife. Chelsea’s response was entertaining and the results of some of the scenes were deliciously spicy. They were well spaced, effectively placed and sweet and saucy all at the same time. They were a credit to the story.

The Taming of the Rake is a rollicking good read. I laughed, I gasped and I giggled some more. The author kept surprising me with one fiasco or plot twist after another. The drama was light and enough to keep the story moving at a steady and energetic pace. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the descriptions and the dialogue. I can’t think of one thing the author could have done better, I had that good of a time. If a reader is looking for a story that entertains, makes a reader smile and provides a sense of justice satisfied, all the while making it hard to put down due to the twists and turns of the adventure, then The Taming of the Rake is a real winner.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really loved it. This is the first book in the Blackthorn Brothers trilogy. This book is about Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn. I am new to historical romance so every time I read one I go into it being skeptical about it. I had no expectations going in and I had no clue what it was about. I ended up really enjoying this book. Beau and Lady Chelsea go on a journey throughout this book. It was funny and steamy and I just loved both lead characters so much. I will say that the lead up to the conclusion of this book was better than the ending. Don't get me wrong the ending wasn't bad it was just way to easily resolved based on everything leading up to it. I will for sure be reading the other books in this trilogy.

[Desiree · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book from the start! The abuse the guy took was unfun to read. Then the adult version of the 'fun' kid heroine was unpleasant! Another book that seems hell bent on showing how shitty it was for a woman, and how hard they had to stand up for themselves to be taken seriously-ish. I get it, but I would rather have the rose colored glasses on... i'm not wanting a historical representation of woman suffrage, I was wanting a charming little romance. This was just YUCK! I gave up after a chapter or two. Seriously, I think myself brilliant from running away from this book!