The Rake of Tamarix Hall

by Georgina North

From debut author Georgina North comes this delicious slow-burn Regency romance…

It’s a truth, universally acknowledged, that even the most determined bachelor can’t resist fate—or a pair of fine eyes.

Lucius Anselme, the new Marquess of Windmere, is no stranger to responsibility. He visits his new estate in the Berkshire countryside a man with a plan: Set Tamarix Hall to rights and return to London in time to enjoy everything the season has to offer—the theatre, the balls, the women. What he doesn’t plan for is making the acquaintance of Miss Cressida Ambrose. She’s clever, beautiful, and just the kind of young lady who might tempt him if he wasn’t wholeheartedly opposed to matrimony.

Marriage may be a woman’s best chance at a comfortable life, but for Cressida Ambrose, she’d sooner walk into a lake with pockets full of rocks than be subjected to the whims of a man, especially one as irritating as the new Lord Windmere, who flirts and teases and frustrates her by turn. She’s content to fade into spinsterhood, until disaster strikes.

Unfortunately for her, he’s the only one who can pull her back from the brink of ruin. And unfortunately for him, helping her means doing the one thing he promised himself he never would.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Regency, Historical, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Enemies To Lovers

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2023

Reviews

[Winnifred D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded to 4. I have very mixed feelings about this book. This would normally have been an easy 4 stars from me, especially since it's the first book by the author. However, the "enemies" vibe was a tad too strong, there was some lack of closure, and the behavior of the MMC in the last 80% involving his former mistress really rubbed me the wrong way.

First, things I liked:

--Smooth, refined writing style with no editing errors that I could find. The dialog and behavior are true to the period, in the style of Mary Balogh.

--Although the setup relies on fairly well-worn tropes (rake meets spinsterish hellion, marriage due to scandal), the author does provide depth to the characters, especially early on. The MMC has his reasons for his rakish behavior, and the MFC also has reasons for never wanting to marry.

--The romance is very slow burn, with the only sex scene right at the end, but the love scenes are written in a sensual way that even some experienced writers can't pull off. Although I usually read steamier HR's, I was fine with the steam level here.

--There are emotional scenes that are very effective. I absolutely loved the poetry book MMC bought MFC right before their wedding day, and the beautiful annotations he made.

--The plot remains absorbing until around the last 80%, when I felt the book stumbled.

Reasons for the 3 1/2 stars:

--MFC is a bit of a pill. Although mostly the reader sympathizes with her, she spends a lot of the book being churlish toward MMC, to the point where the banter goes from witty to hateful too often.

--Along those same lines, I enjoy a good "enemies to lovers", but needed more "love" here. The MC's spend so much time projecting their anger and insecurities onto each other, there's little time for enjoyable scenes between them. It's hard for the reader to see why they care for each other so deeply by the end. The resolution of their issues leading to the HEA seems rushed and the sex scene at the end feels a bit tacked on.

--Lack of comeuppance for the baddies. Confession: I am a vengeful reader. When a writer creates characters as odious as the MFC's dad, I want some closure. At least some groveling. Also, I couldn't really figure out Lady Lisle, who goes around in public being absolutely detestable toward the MFC and actually is instrumental in the marriage between the MC's, but just sort of disappears. Obviously she has an ax to grind, but by the end her scenes are pointless.

--Finally, at the beginning I mentioned MMC's behavior. POSSIBLE SPOILER:……………….Romantic physical involvement (even it's not sex) with ex's after marriage is a big no-no for me in romance novels. It made me think less of MMC as a character and definitely didn't make me feel as if he'd bonded any more with MFC. Particularly since his physical relationship with his wife hadn't gone beyond the kissing stage. Honestly, I didn't understand his behavior from the last 75% on.

Bottom line: there are many things to like in this first novel, and I enjoyed it overall. I would just have liked more sweetness, fun, and respect between the MC's and less unnecessary angst.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Book Sirens for this opportunity. This book will be released on January 24.

[Heather Moll · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Great dialogue and banter. Characters with depth. Enemies to lovers that’s a super slow burn, and heavier on enemies than lovers.

Cressida doesn’t want to marry and be controlled by a man after having a abusive father and Lucius sleeps around rather than lose the will to live after the death of a wife like his father did or be beholden to family obligations. Complex family feuds and secrets on both sides also impair their relationship.

Spoilers. The characters’ time apart led to some resolutions, but it slowed down their developing relationship, and as a result the rushed ending was a little unsatisfying. Lucius’s reconnection with his mistress after he married had an ick factor for me. I don’t like the hero needing to nearly hook up with someone else to make him realize he wants the heroine after all. The book stops in the middle of the story’s only sex scene, which was a little jolting. I would have preferred the scene either continue and have an emotional conclusion, or just close the bedroom door.

I still enjoyed this one and am ready for Alexander and Astrid’s stories.

I received an arc from NetGalley

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was honestly quite disappointed with this book. While there were circumstances that occurred to and around the two main characters, the characters themselves had very little personality. It also felt like there was too much conversation for anything of value to happen.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This book has everything. Marriage of Convenience, Enemies-to-Lovers, THE ANGST! So much angst. A wonderful debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for providing me with a free copy of this book.

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book! It had everything I love in a novel, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, pining, a man with authority, all of it was really gripping and all I wanted to do was keep reading.

I loved the setting the author created, the book gave me extreme Bridgerton vibes which I adored because I love those novels! I also cant believe this is this authors DEBUT novel! I will one hundred percent be reading more when she releases them!

The only thing that I did not enjoy was how stubborn and irritating Cressida could be, like girl there was no need to be so angry all the time, the reason she gave wasn’t good enough in my opinion for how she treated Windmere, and at the end of the novel there were so many stupid excuses for the two main characters not to talk civilly about a certain issue, like I understood the severity but at some points I just thought it was so childish like she literally ran off… to the woods… instead of facing the problem head on, and then was annoyed because he didn’t follow? My brain hurts thinking about it.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves Bridgerton and are fans of that era!

[Sissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well written debut romance novel. The author's strength lies in her ability to get a reader inside the heads of her characters. The two main characters have realistic flaws and concerns that I understood very well and sympathized with. When they made mistakes, it was easy to see how they were made (the main hurdle the couple faces is a communication issue.) The author also utilizes 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' to help make the characters reflect on their true feelings.

I wasn't super happy with the male lead's choices at the end, but he did realize his mistake and felt terrible about it. I feel like the heroine took on more of the blame than necessary, but overall this was an entertaining read with witty dialogue that I enjoyed.

I was given this book as an ARC and have provided my honest opinion. Thank you for the opportunity to read this lovely book. <3

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rake of Tamarix Hall was a generally enjoyable historical romance that I finished over two nights. It follows fairly standard tropes, so you know roughly what to expect from the story, but there was enough original content in the plot to keep it feeling fresh. I liked both Lucius and Cressida as characters; however, I found some of their jibes at each other a little harsh at times. It just felt a tad too strong given the eventual romance and the fact that, while they were dealing with the own baggage in the way they reacted, neither had done anything to the other to require that level of vitriol. But that aside, it was an entertaining story with a pleasing ending and no glaring anachronisms, so I can recommend it to lovers of Regency romance. I am giving it four stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every Heyer or Austen devotee who has quietly wished for more at the end of the story, there is The Rake of Tamarix by Georgina North. This is a beautifully written story of two headstrong and instantly appealing characters with painful events in their pasts that affect their ability to come together.

Cressida is one of four sisters whose windowed father has neglected all and abused one (Cressida). An aunt finally arrives to escort the girls to social occasions to give them a chance to find matches. Lucius has recently inherited a title and estate in the town where Cressida lives and he is captivated by her. They wind up forced together before their mutual attraction can naturally develop and through a series of misunderstandings, are separated. It's a simple plot, but one that is presented beautifully. The siblings on both side are memorable secondary characters that I'd love to see again if this proves to be the first in a series.

Following along as Cressida and Lucius come together and then separate is a heart-wrenching experience, but their love story is captivating and has the most satisfying of conclusions.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for a copy of this ebook, and this is my freely given opinion.

Lucius Anselme is a handsome, wealthy, successful man who took on his family responsibilities and business at a young age, after helping care for his ailing mother, and then watching his father decline, then die shortly after his beloved wife. This is a lot of deep responsibility and emotional burden for a young man to handle, and then learning to take over a thriving business and the care of a younger brother, while mourning the loss of his parents. As such, he unapologetically enjoys the facile pleasures in his life, including the pleasures of the flesh, earning him the title of rake in Society. His family is related to the aristocracy through his father, a younger son of a Marquess, but never expected to inherit, or had much to do with the rest of the family. So it was rather an unexpected and unwelcome burden for Lucius to find out that he inherited the title of the Marquess of Windmere after the unexpected death of his cousin, the official heir, and his grandfather. He and his younger brother make their way to Berkshire and the inherited estate of Tamarix Hall to assess and take over the care of the estate and title. Lucius hopes to settle things so he can go back to his life in London, but is aware that the new title will also make him a target for matchmakers and schemers.

Cressida Ambrose is one of several daughters of a local family. They had lost their mother a number of years prior to illness, and live with their drunken, abusive father who cares little for his children or the estate, especially as they are all daughters. Women appear to be useless in his eyes, so why bother, since he has no sons to inherit. He is especially bad to Cressida, a fact everyone is aware of, though the true extent of which and why, are hidden by Cressida, even from her sisters. Because of her experiences with her father and others, Cressida has developed a very jaded view about men and marriage by the age of 21. So she is less than welcoming when the notorious womanizing rake, Lucius arrives in Frambury and he overhears her derision as she speaks with her sisters about town. Especially as the prior Marquess and his family have not taken care of the estate and tenants well over the preceding years, and Cressida and others have low expectations of the new Marquess in caring for those dependent on him and the estate.

Lucius however, is a good manager, and holds the values his parents taught him to heart. Despite his rakish reputation, he cares for those in need and under his care. Taking Tamarix Hall into hand and settling it in good stead take up more of his time than he expects. But his improvements and care are noted by others, and he ends up taking part in local society, putting him and Cressida into each other's presence frequently. Lucius teases and provokes her, and Cressida, despite her disdain, is put off kilter by his behaviour and her own unexpected feelings.

But they are both the target of a malicious, conniving woman who hopes to snare Lucius as a prize for her own daughter, and destroy Cressida whom she blames for a personal tragedy in her own life. Lucius, refusing to be manipulated by her, declares a betrothal between himself and Cressida instead.

Cressida comes off as an angry young woman who is quick to judge and blame, but she has a lot of history of abuse from her father and others, which can easily explain her lack of faith and trust in men. Lucius is aware of some of this, from his observations of her and her family and what he finds out for himself. But their romance is very rocky because of their lack of communication initially and they both almost toss away their HEA. Her armour is her biting acerbic tongue, and she is afraid of his reputation and what it means for a marriage with him, and Lucius is afraid to admit his own depth of feelings for her. They both bear trauma and deeply held personal pain that could bring them closer together if they learned to share with each other, and communicate instead.

I quite enjoyed this first time novel by this author. The characters seem to be quite richly drawn out, and I liked the depth of character of the two MCs, and found the story well written and quite enjoyable with the emotional interplay between characters.

3.75 stars and I look forward to more from this author.

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 3 out of 5]

Georgina North’s second novel, Painting the Duke, was one of my top books of 2023, so I had high hopes for her debut, The Rake of Tamarix Hall. And it ALMOST lived up to them.

It’s the story of Cressida, one of four sisters who are at the mercy of their drunk of a father; he refuses to chaperone them anywhere, so despite the eldest being 22, they are not “out.” Cressida has a meet-mean with rake Lucius in a bookshop, where he eavesdrops on her gossipy conversation about the new marquess—who, of course, turns out to be him. They have a fractious relationship until a fateful event that throws them together.

What I loved about this book:
- Georgina North’s writing is great. It’s in the style of Heyer and Austen and feels more of the period than many current historical romances. It’s witty and fun to read.
- The supporting characters—namely, my favorite micro-trope, the Sassy Older Woman. Here, she takes the form of Lucius’ Aunt Bea, who uses her sharp tongue and sharper walking stick to great effect.
- This is a sloooow burn, but the two kissing scenes before 71% are hot.
- There is an original poem in here that is beautiful.

What didn’t work for me:
- This is enemies-to-lovers, but the antagonism was a little forced in a number of places. Cressida is quite unfairly mean to Lucius, which he calls her out on, but she carries on regardless.
- There is a Jump to Conclusion by him late in the book that I just don’t buy.
- That led to him >>SPOILER<< kissing a previous paramour, which I didn’t like and for which there was not NEARLY enough groveling. It would have been a deal-breaker for most women, I think.
- They do finally do the deed, but the book literally ends in the middle of it. WUT.

So it was a bit messy, and North definitely ran out of steam after 80%. But I’ll absolutely read her third book – she is a writing talent to watch.

[Baylee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you for net galley for the arc. I’ll be honest I dnf this one. It just wasn’t my speed. Normally I really enjoy old English fiction. But the romance was too slow burn for me, and it is less of engines to lovers than two who are kind of attracted to each other to helping each other with a marriage. I had high hopes but I felt the writing was just too drawn out. This would be a fantastic book for someone who enjoys little action, slow burn romance, heavy descriptions, and old world English life. I think this is definitely something I will come back to later when I want to settle down to ready a cozy little story. I also think this would be fantastic in audio format.

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost bypassed this book, the cover didn’t appeal to me much, but I’m a sucker where books are concerned. I’m glad I’m a book glutton because this was a delight. The romantic tones emanating from this book were undeniably engrossing. Cressida and Lucius found love when they least expected it, but it came at a price.

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review is based on an eARC recieved from NetGalley*

3.5 STARS!!!!

( CW for slight allusions to sexual harrasment and domestic abuse)

An Austen-esque romance with more oral sex and less of Austen's dry witty humor- The Rake of Tamarix Hall is a novel about Cressida and Lucius who are, from the very beginning, the very embodiment of the Enemies-to-Lovers trope. Or maybe Enemies to Forced Spouses to Lovers is a better description!

What I liked -
The prose is great, the writing flows perfectly and the dialogues are never clunky, and the language never feels out-of-place: so overall, it was a pleasure to read. The supporting characters are also very well written (and had me hoping for more books about all the sisters!) The plot is also excellent!

What I didn't like-
There is miscommunication, and then there is a total and complete and utter lack of communication. The amount of times these two run away from each other without a word leaving the other to assume the worst is honestly annoying. The 'enemies' part of the 'enemies to lovers' never seems to end! Right up to 90% of the book, the MCs barely have, like, 3 civil conversations, and even those are very short. Though we do get to see them developing feelings for the other, it's all in their own heads and never really shown.
The reason for Cressida being so ...triggered by him is alluded to throughout the book, but since it is affecting her entire behavior towards Luci, it should have been explored in more detail, and not in the last 5 pages.

Extra marks for that perfect note from Lucius to Cressida!

Even with all these issues, a few more romance-y scenes would have made the book perfect!This is very good, especially for a debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this book!

[Gokce G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable historical romance where the main characters are forced into a marriage of convenience. Also, they don’t start off as big fans of each other either. Usually, this is something I love in historical romances, and while it was fun to read the two characters bicker from the start, after about halfway through the book, there’s a bit amount of time they spend apart from one another that I could do without. While this time apart worked in their resolving their issues-and understanding how they wronged each other- it also took page away from their romance, and made the ending feel a bit rushed.

I couldn’t help but think that more could’ve been done with the banter and the inevitable sexual attraction between the hero and the heroine, and perhaps a tad bit more about the relationships in general between the main characters and their families.

Still, this was a fun and quick read. I’d definitely read more from this author. Also, judge a book by its cover cause I love this one.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just OK. I had a few issues with it including the pacing. It was too much of a slow burn for me.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars....MAYBE
I am alarmingly frustrated with the completion of this book. I'm sorry, I know it's a debut novel and therefore my expectations shouldn't be that high because writing well is typically a learning process, but this book upset me so badly that I regret reading it.
I can tell that the author is a fan of Pride and Prejudice...so much so that there are literally exact lines from the 2005 film adaptation's script. That was in poor taste, yes, but not enough to make my blood pressure rise. But the fact the MMC and FMC argued nonstop at every encounter did. I still don't understand why or how they fell so madly in love with each other. There's very little interaction between the two, and when there is, the heroine is ALWAYS being unnecessarily a bitch to the hero. Then once they marry, the next morning the hero goes off to London to hang out with his previous mistress. I don't care if they never actually did the deed after he was wed. To everyone else it would appear so, thus making his wife look like a fool and disrespecting her horribly. He then admits to kissing her, but 'when her hands were on him' he realized that's not what he wanted. Give me a break. The author squashed any and everything I liked about the hero and with the heroine already being a bitch at every turn, I literally ended this story disliking both the main characters.
The story went nowhere, the characters were not likeable, and there was no real spice to even find that as a silver lining. I'm sorry, but I would not recommend this story.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the best thing about this book is the cover. This is a hate to love trope, but it’s pretty tame as these types of stories go. She is so unbelievably hateful to him that by the time they get back together I didn’t like her anymore. There’s really no big revelation scene, like this is the secret I e been keeping which I knew would make you hate me so I decided to hate you first. You know how these things go. I’m not sorry I listened to it but it didn’t light my fire. If you love this trope (and who doesn’t) I highly recommend Stella Riley’s The Mesalliance. There’s a great Heyer that uses this trope beautifully (but all her books are) but I can’t remember which one. I think I need a Heyer reread. To remind myself why I love HR.

[Vansa · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the characters and their individual traumas are quite well-written, the romance is unconvincing, and instead of bantering with each other, Cressida seems to spend her time sniping at Lucius, for no reason at all. The author's clearly inspired by Georgette Heyer's 'Sylvester', but can't pull off the writing, and the plot gets repetitive after a while. This was a disappointment and I expected more.

[Chelsea Styles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
POV - Dual, Third Person - Lucius & Cressida
Ending - HEA

Overall Rating: 3.75/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
Spicy Rating: 0.5/5

Scroll to end for 5-point review summary

The Rake of Tamarix Hall by Georgina North is a delightful debut regency romance novel featuring beautiful, era-appropriate prose, layered characters, and a solid plot.

Pace
Clocking in at about 240 pages, The Rake of Tamarix is a quick read that, while written in typical regency-era style prose, has a tinge of a contemporary flow that makes it easy to read. Georgina delivers action and plot points through the witty dialogue and did well to avoid chunky blocks of exposition and excessively flowery descriptions that can sometimes be found in period romances. I would have liked to see a bit more of the reconciled romance at the end as everything led up to the ending for it to cut off right at the good (read spicy) part, but I think that this ending would perfectly suit a romance reader who prefers the conflict/struggle to the resolution/HEA/make-up relations.

Characters
Cressida, FMC, and Lucius, MMC, have palpable chemistry on the page and really go at each other with the witty banter that sometimes escalates into a more intense, cutting argument (think Darcy confessing his love and Elizabeth turning his down but doubled) but they both give as much as they get. Georgina does a good job at having Lucius and Cressida feed off each other which balances their dynamic (otherwise it would have read very much like bullying if it was more one-sided).

I thought Lucius was the star of the show. You can tell that Georgina really put a lot of work into crafting a complex character that was equal parts vulnerable and confident, uncertain and decisive. There was a point that was a bit ick for him as it concerns Other Woman/Man/Love Interest Drama, but I will say that Cressida’s (FMC) response to this literally made me ball my eyes out (which is weird because I really rarely cry). So, yes, while that part was icky, it was a very effective plot device to draw out the extreme emotions of the reader (me) and Cressida (FMC). I saw a few reviews already that said they didn’t like the book because of this specific scene and they are completely entitled to their opinion. I’m not going to make commentary on the actual event - whether it is acceptable behaviour, etc. - because it’s a story, a piece of entertainment, and the scene did its job as an impetus in Lucius and Cressida’s development. I don’t believe that liking the book means that you condone this behaviour in real life but, as I said, everyone is allowed to have and share their own views on the matter, as am I.

Tropes/Themes
- Hate to Love
- Other Man/Woman/Love Interest Drama
- He Falls First
- Both sworn off marriage
- Duty above love
- Forced marriage/Marriage of Convenience-ish
- Court Gossip
- Slow Burn


Is The Rake of Tamarix Hall spicy?
There is one explicit scene that is rather abrupt and one other non-explicit, intimate moment. These scenes are well written but very few (like literally just the two). This story is more focused on the tension and build-up rather with very little play-out of the actual romance.

My Thoughts
The Rake of Tamarix Hall by Georgina North had me laughing, crying, and whooping with joy. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the depth of emotion Georgina was able to pull from my cold, stone heart. Personally, I would have like there to be a longer reconciliation scene with more spicy spice but I appreciate that the story, as it stands now, might appeal to a wider audience who prefers the drama rather than the explicit romance. The Rake of Tamarix Hall is a delightful example of regency romance that I would recommend to any reader who likes a healthy serving of hate-to-love, witty banter, romantic tension, and the chase.

Review Summary in 5 points
1. Regency Romance
2. Quick, easy read (for regency romance genre)
3. Hate-to-love
4. all the tension
5. Layered characters with a wide emotional range

[Cat Champney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley et. al. for the ARC!

I’m going to start with all of the things I liked about this - then go into my rating!

So, here goes! There are a lot of my favorite tropes in this and some of them are well done, especially for a debut. It’s an engaging enemies-to-lovers story, with forced marriage and missed communication. And, the marriage happens because the two leads (Lucius and Cressida) wind up alone in a room together. The scandal!! We love to see it! Also, the romance scenes are very well written. The author (mostly) nails the regency romance language and the verbal sparring is fun! By the end of the story, I loved Lucius.

Unfortunately, the character development and timing did not work. I can’t tell how much time passed in the book, as weeks and months(?) were casually mentioned. Plus, some massive problems were solved insanely quickly. For example, the aunt appears so suddenly and immediately introduces the girls so they can be “out.” The suddeness here undermined the emphasis on how oppressed they were by their father, who was so easily cowed by the aunt figure. The suddeness unfortunately applied to the main romance relationship too, which lessened my interest in them as a couple.

With this, the miscommunication became so extreme it lacked coherency. Sometimes Lucius would contradict himself in one conversation, spewing out hateful responses will little reflection - same with Cressida. While there is some reflection on how they regret what they say, there isn’t enough of an internal monologue for either character to support their eventual feelings. I felt as though I were relying on the tropes to build the characters, rather than relying on the characters to emphasize/engage with the tropes. And, Cressida’s trauma is handled pretty poorly (at least, in my opinion).

In short, because so much felt over-the-top yet still insignificant, the story felt fragmented and inconsistent. By the end I liked the characters and wanted them to be together… only to be sorely disappointed with how abrupt the ending was.

Overall, if this were not a debut novel, I would have leaned towards one star. That’s because I think this is a solid start, but needs another round of revision for narrative cohesiveness. This could have been a much longer book. BUT. I liked the start that it was - the author clearly has a firm grasp on this style of writing, this first story was just possibly doing too much.

[Jen | Prairiebookgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucius the Rake is in trouble when he unexpectedly gains the title of Marquis, and the added expectation of producing an Heir. Oh no! He needs a wife!

Cressida, the second oldest sister of the Grange, with no dowry, a suspect parentage, an abusive men in her life everywhere she looks, doesn't want to get married. Doesn't want a husband period. She is bound to see her younger sisters married, avoid her drunken abusive father and the rumours of the town, and be a doting aunt to future nieces and nephews. But when she is caught unawares by herself in a dark room with Lucius, the new Marquis she can't stand, and a conniving Lady wishes to ruin her image, she finds herself betrothed!

Like many, if not most, of the modern day historical romances, this takes large chunks right out of Jane Austen's world, with the fear of being ruined, with the tall, dark, handsome, and completely despicable paramour, and the misunderstandings created, this is a fun little romp that is entirely predictable and unputdownable in equal measure. The splash of colour in the sarcasm and wit of Aunt Bea is delightful, and she works as a wonderful catalyst for the characters. You cheer when she puts the in her place as well, like a breath of fresh air blowing into the otherwise derivative plot points.

The whole point of picking up this book was to read a post-Austen, post-Bridgerton Victorian era romance, so while I say the book is derivative and predictable, those are only plusses because that is what I wanted in this read. The conflict that arises is full of nuances, emotions, and misunderstandings. My one complaint is that the resolution to these wonderfully thick and juicy conflicts was just.... dropped. It's like the falling action, resolution, and ending were all squished together into like, 8 pages. It fell into the tired and sexist trope that sex with a man automatically fixes all conflicts and pardons him of all faults. This book would really benefit from flushing out the resolution a lot more after the sex. The entire book was carried on the emotions of the characters. End with it that way too. Delve into all the complicated, little nuances both with the main characters, and all the nefarious other actors in the book. And for the love of God, tell us whether or not one of the characters lives please!

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So bit of an overview first. Lucius Anselme lost his parents early - first his mother, who he left school to look after, and then his father who died of grief. He has been in charge of a large business and estate since his late teens - he's successfully, wealthy and now, due to the untimely death of his cousin and uncle, a Marquess.

He moves to Tamarix Hall, the seat of the Marquessate and on the way he stops at the village bookshop. He hears two young women talking about the new Marquess - none too complimentary and his curiosity is piqued. Enter Cressida Ambrose. Cressida lives at Red Fern Grange with her three sisters and her alcoholic and abusive father.

Events unfold from there.

Positives about this book: it's well written and has quite a depth to it which I enjoyed. There are well drawn secondary characters - Alexander, Lucius's brother, the Ambrose girls aunt and Aunt Bea.

What led me to take a couple of stars away was that the conflict in the book felt a bit forced and the characters (particularly Lucius) veer from being kind, thoughtful and quite considered to making very odd decisions and acting very irrationally which feels jarring.

I also found the constant merry-go-round of misunderstandings, lack of trust, flare ups of temper, lack of empathy and self centredness rather tiring. I slogged through but it was something of an exhausting read.

It was 70% there as a book - but lacked some of the effervescence of books which are also based on misunderstandings. For e.g. in Pride and Prejudice - one persons actions and subsequent misunderstanding reverberates through the book - but Austen handles this very deftly. And manages to be funny. Where Mr Darcy gives Lizzy good reason to think he might be guilty of his crimes, in his behaviour, in this book, Lucius hasn't actually done anything wrong! He is a "rumoured rake" who sticks to experienced and bored ladies ... hardly besmirching people, Mr Wickham style!

So, all in all - fairly well written, somewhat convoluted, slightly exhausting.

Loved the cover.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Antonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Rake of Tamarix Hall is a Regency romance that succeeds largely because it trusts implication more than explanation.

Cressida Ambrose is clever, capable, and deeply prejudiced — particularly when it comes to Lucius Anselme, Marquis of Windmere. Her refusal to actually observe him, preferring reputation over evidence, is one of the novel’s central tensions. It is also genuinely frustrating, but deliberately so. Lucius, however, is no corrective force of reason. He is just as stubborn, just as committed to sabotaging the match, and fully capable of acting against his own interests. This is very much a case of two fools in love, each armed with principle, pride, and poor timing.

What works well here is character balance. Lucius is not redeemed by rhetoric; he reveals himself through restraint, consistency, and action. Cressida is not softened or excused; her intelligence does not protect her from bad judgement. The novel allows both of them to be wrong without turning either into a caricature.

Structurally, the book resolves only Cressida’s and Lucius’s arc. Other narrative threads — Astrid, Cora, Rebecca, and their appalling, self-destructive father — remain open. Whether this is intentional serialisation or simply loose plotting is unclear, but it does give the impression that the story is part of a larger design rather than a fully enclosed whole.

Stylistically, the novel leans more toward show than tell. It withholds emotional clarity from the characters themselves, requiring the reader to infer developments long before the protagonists do. There is still plenty of exposition, but it does not smother interpretation. The result is a romance that unfolds through accumulation rather than declaration.

Not perfect. Occasionally trying. But intelligent, controlled, and more trusting of its reader than many books in its genre.

[Gr8Smokies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rake of Tamarix Hall by Georgina North felt a little like a throwback romance—one that focused less on the physical and more on the relationship than most recently written historicals that I have read. This can be a two-edged sword. If the story is mostly relying on conversation to move the romance along rather than physical intimacy, the dialogue needs to be tight and witty.

The reluctant-to-wed female main character, Cressida, is not enamored with the rake, Lucius. She finds him rude and crass. She wastes no time in putting down his manners, and she harps on his short-comings repeatedly. It was to the point where I did not believe in the attraction between the two characters. Since Lucius also throws his imperial manner around, the insults and barbs overshadowed the burgeoning romance between the two characters.

I did appreciate the poetry that Lucius gave Cressida before their wedding day. It was beautiful and her reaction to it was touching. I just wish that it felt more connected to their previous interactions, instead of a rare moment of candor rather than the usual snark.

There was a bit of a cheating aspect, with Lucius connecting with a previous lover despite being married. Truthfully, I felt that he was more connected to his mistress to his wife in temperament, but if cheating is a deal-breaker for you, be warned.

There were things to enjoy about this book: Cressida’s independence and her relationships with her sisters, Lucius’ relationship with his brother and his sacrifice for him, and the other secondary characters.

A little more focus on the developing relationship while maintaining the banter would be most welcome in the next book.

I received an advance copy from Book Sirens and I am posting this review voluntarily.

[Joan Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT*************

This author is very new to me and I can’t wait for more books! “The rake…” has a flowing plot, steamy romance, and complex characters.

Cressida lives in a home of 3 loving, beautiful sisters and an alcoholic father who makes home her prison. She and her elder sister believe they won’t ever be able to leave until their 2 younger sisters are taken care of. Lucius has become an earl with the passing of his uncle. He has enough responsibilities already and won’t ever do his duty to marry. He’s content to be a rake.

My heart went out to Cressida because her father thought she wasn’t his daughter. She took the brunt of his physical and emotional destruction. As an abused person, she lashed out at the new Lord Windmere (Lucius) since she believed no man could be honest or good. Lucius was drawn to her and the road was a long one to win her over. Of course it was also because he had trust issues and it irritated me greatly that he wouldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt.


*********
Cressida and Lucius had a disastrous beginning to their marriage. When he left her the night they married I wanted to yell and tell him what an … he was! He should have thought about Cressida’s life of abuse and not add to it. That was the angst for me. I didn’t think Lucius had any kind of suffering near to hers when he finally had his epiphany. Their attraction was sensual and intimate.

I couldn’t wait to finish reading this book for the happy-ever-after, knowing how Cressida was selfless and willing to sacrifice her life for her sisters.

I received a free copy of the book in advance and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid four star read that I really enjoyed! North is an excellent writer and she really excels at creating a range of characters who are all very believably motivated and have plenty of issues without roaming into the land of stereotypes. Lucius and Cressida are are great leading pair with immediate chemistry and whilst at times it's hard not to wish that they would just talk to each other about their damage, it's very believable that they wouldn't. The secondary characters are all also very interesting and I can't help but hope that there might be a sequel or two for Cressida's sisters and Lucius' brother.

There are only a few things that keep this from being a five star read. The pacing is a little off: the second half of the novel could do with a little more time to really expand on the issues between Lucius and Cressida, and the ending feels a bit rushed. For my part, I think it would have really increased the emotional fallout if the leads had actually consummated the marriage immediately after the wedding, rather than right at the end of the story. If you're looking for a steamy romance novel, this probably isn't exactly what you're after - although whilst I usually prefer a bit more heat to my romances, I would still recommend this. There is plenty of great tension between the two leads, and their chemistry is palpable. It's just a matter of personal taste that I would have liked a bit more heat.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this ebook in return for an honest review.

[Helen Causer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q: When is a Rake Not a Rake

A: When he sets himself moral boundaries.

Lucius Anselme inherits the title of Marquess of Windmere following the death of his grand-uncle.

The title brings land, property, wealth, and responsibility to tenants, that adds to his business interests, and he is not overly impressed.

He is known as a Rake as he enjoys the company of Widows and Neglected Wives, but stops short at sullying a Maiden’s reputation.

He has vowed never to marry, but is persuaded that he needs an heir, although he is no hurry to find a wife.

On his first visit to his newly inherited seat, he crosses paths with two local young ladies, one of whom is very outspoken about the new Marquess in a public place, not knowing that he can hear every word she is saying.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse, with misunderstandings and miscommunication between the pair, along with secrets kept, and a bitter Cousin whose son was in line to inherit the tile before he died.

The author has written a very clever and witty dialogue, telling their story in such a way that I could hardly put the book down. I laughed, and cried, with their ups and downs, and was sorry when I finished reading. I certainly am looking forward to reading more by the author, and highly recommend this book to fans of Regency Romance.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Lori Sinsel Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am on the fence about this one. On one hand I enjoyed this enemy to lovers trope. But on the other hand there is an awful lot of enemy and not a whole lot of lover to be found. Also some of the conversations (arguments?), become downright hateful, the contempt seeps from both parties and is very chilling and hurt-full. I mean it made me kinda cringe in my seat and cower down so as not to be seen, that is how harsh they were to each other. I had to wonder some if there really was any love betweent he two, and if so when and how did it happen because I missed that part. And when Lucius goes running off the day after they marry straight back to London to the arms of his mistress, well that really lowered his character in my eyes. That scene should never have been written if you ask me. That was a bit much, even for a work of fiction, it was awful.
Despite the lack of warm, cozy scenes the story is still a good one and moved along at a good pace up until the end which seemed a little off and a lot rushed. I will still give it 3 1/2 stars if that was possible and you guys can judge for yourselves, not going to say read or don't read on this one, it is up to you to decide.
Thank you to Books Go Social and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic debut series from Ms. North. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the character development. I was rooting for both of the characters to get their acts together. I understood Cressida's hesitance and even fear with men given her past, but I also understood Lucius's desire to make a go of things. I know some readers may find it peevish to have the male character be a "rake" and have a past, and the woman always having to be this model of purity, but I think Ms. North did a good job in being sensitive to that.

I have to remind myself that during this period, communication was not always considered a priority in a child's learning, so I was patient when the characters proved to be stubborn in their determination to misunderstand each other. I do think the ending could have been more gradual. Some parts felt open ended to me.

I am intrigued by this author and look forward to any upcoming books after their debut. Congratulations Ms. North!

ARC provided by BooksGoSocial via NetGalley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

[SH · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of four sisters, Cressida Ambrose has lived with an abusive father until her aunt decides to act as a chaperone, to find them all a suitable match.
Lucius Anselme has taken on his family business, whilst caring for his younger brother. Having lost his parents, he takes joy wherever he can find it, even if it is with others. This ultimately leads to his description as a rake. Yet when he finds that he has inherited the title of Marquess of Windmere, he and his brother take up residence in Tamarix Hall. However, the title, only leads to mothers lining him up for marriage. There he meets Cressida, and soon must protect her against the malicious nature of a mother determined to trap him for her daughter.
This is an intense romance, each with their own personal trauma, yet their issues are understandable and reasonable. By using time apart, the author has given the two main characters, time to reflect on their relationship, and given an added depth to the storyline. An enjoyable read.
I have received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.