Series: The Mating Habits of Scoundrels, #2
Traits & Tropes: hidden identity; bluestocking heroine; wrong side of the tracks hero
Setting/Genre: Historical; Regency
Heat Level: 3/5
Publication Date: 09.29.20
Rating: 3/5
When her book research on the difference between gentlemen and scoundrels leads her to a brothel, Jane Pickerington doesn’t expect the excursion to end in an all-out brawl. She winds up coming to the aid of the man who attempted to rescue her and soon discovers he’s far more than a garden variety rake.
Raven has a strict set of rules he lives by, rules that helped him survive as an orphan abandoned on the steps of a foundling home. He’s never had any other names or known anything about his true origins, nor has he tried to find out, but that all changes when he meets the insatiably curious Jane. She recognizes a scar on his arm and the fact that he’s entitled to an aristocratic position based on the truth of his birth.
Raven has always despite the aristocracy. He manages a gaming hell and is comfortable in the slightly seedier parts of London. He has no preparation for high society and doesn’t know that he wishes to, but he agrees to allow Jane to teach him some social graces. In exchange, Raven teaches Jane all about the wicked topics which spur her curiosity, leaving them both wanting more at the end of each lesson.
I have so many mixed feelings about this one. [Potential spoilers ahead.] I loved the concept of Raven and his mysterious past and the revelation of his true identity, but I felt he deserved more of a true recognition than he got in the end. We’re left with him still in disgrace and I wanted him to be vindicated, perhaps an epilogue or another chapter would’ve left me feeling more satisfied. I wound up liking Jane in the end, but she really had to do a lot of growing on me. At first, I pretty much hated her because of her arrogance, entitlement, and naivete given her meddling in Raven’s life for what were originally purely selfish reasons to satisfy her own curiosity and with no thought to the effects that could have on him. Her know-it-all attitude and constant corrections of Raven, not to mention her judgmental attitudes and blatantly using him as research for her book, got on my nerves. Fortunately, her behavior improved as she came to love Raven and her condescension turned into more of a witty banter and became a bit charming. For his part, Raven took this mostly in stride and produced some of the best innuendo I’ve read. His complexity as a character and his fear of letting anyone close was rather moving, especially when the truth of his origins and background is revealed and considering the fact that he’s never been loved. In some ways I feel like Jane pushed Raven entirely too hard and in others not at all hard enough, which left me unsure of how to feel about this book. Another complaint I had is the fact that the sexual abuse Raven endured as a young man is totally glossed over; he rationalizes the behavior of his abused when Jane points out how wrong this was, despite the fact that his inner monologues have revealed that this experience was damaging to him. I would’ve liked to have seen even just an extra page or two of him coming to terms with what happened to him as he realizes that intimacy with Jane is totally different from anything he’s ever known. No, this wasn’t strictly vital to the plot, I just think it would’ve rounded out his character a bit more.
This book wasn’t exactly everything I’d hoped it would be, but I did enjoy the coming together of these two quirky, unconventional characters and I’ll continue with the series, but mostly I look forward to Prue’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2690104526
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3134550151
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