Rake I'd Like to F... by Sierra Simone, Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Adrianna Herrera & Joanna Shupe | ARC Review

Series: N/A, Anthology
Traits & Tropes: m/m; mfm; mmf; mf; widows; class difference; highwayman; reformed rake
Publication Date: 11.30.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency/Victorian; England/Paris, France
Heat Level: 5/5
Rating: 5/5

The Last Crimes of Peregrine Hind- Sierra Simone

The son of farmers, Peregrine went off to war when his father died, hoping to support his family by sending them his wages. But when Peregrine returned home it was to find his family dead and their farm destroyed by enclosures enacted by the greedy Duke of Jarrell, so Peregrine turned highwayman in his quest for revenge. When he finally has the chance to be rid of the duke, he’s disheartened to find the ducal carriage contains Lord Alexander, the duke’s brother and heir. Peregrine settles for kidnapping the notorious rake for ransom instead, but he’s wholly unprepared for his reaction to Sandy as a less than completely unwilling captive.

This story wasn’t exactly what I had expected, but I wound up loving it. Peregrine’s original intent was to murder Sandy, but it was quite obvious from the beginning that that was never going to happen. These two wound up being perfect foils for each other and I was bowled over by the simultaneous sweetness and sexiness of their story and I think it’s one of the most well-done highwayman stories I’ve read.

Two Rakes for Mrs. Sparkwell- Eva Leigh

As a fairly new widow, Vivian Sparkwell is looking forward to finally having some peace and freedom. Unfortunately, thanks to her marriage contract, she is required to accept any reasonable offer of marriage or lose her portion entirely. Her best change at the solitude she craves is to ruin her reputation quite thoroughly and publicly to ensure there will be no suitors. She can think of no one better to aid in her quest than Rushton Cantley, London’s most notorious rake. When he suggests they invite his friend Jack Morgan, bareknuckle boxer and gaming house guard, to join them, Vivian is shocked but also highly intrigued and they each have to decide just how far they’re willing to go in this scheme.

This was a very intriguing story for me, and I greatly enjoyed it. Vivian, Rush, and Jack had quite a bit working against them, but they all felt like fully developed characters despite the fact that this was a novella. It was frustrating how much Vivian’s family members attempted to make decisions for her, but that made it all the more satisfying when she finally took her life into her own hands and her courage is what gave Rush and Jack the ability to finally voice their own feelings. This was a very sweet and sexy story, overall.

A Rake, His Patron, & Their Muse- Nicola Davidson

Lennox Townsend is a renowned playwright and known rake about town, know for his very melodramatic writing. Lately, however, he has lost his muse, so his shy patron, Lord Jonathan Grant, suggests a week away at a country boarding house. There they meet the widowed Mrs. Viola Prescott, who has been starved for attention and treated as a servant by her awful in-laws. The three rapidly enter a passionate affair in which each is finally able to be their true self. But they remain surrounded by judgmental people who could still rain on their newfound happiness before they have a chance to make it permanent.

I loved how unconventional this story was. The whole time I just kept wanting to give Jon a hug and take care of him myself, so my only complaint is that I could’ve used more time with him on page. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the openness, honesty, and lack of judgment present in the dynamic between Lennox, Jon, and Viola. Their HEA was believable and oh so satisfying for me and I was actually rather surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Monsieur X- Adriana Herrera

Joseph Cantor Marshall has fought for his position as a sought-after portrait artist, but he never imagined his success would wind up so dull. Seeking new inspiration, he ventures out to a masked party at an exclusive Parisian club. He’s almost immediately taken with a man who introduces himself only as X, but when Cantor asks for more than one anonymous night, X proves to be very elusive. Cantor’s thoughts are consumed by X but falling for the mysterious man could either be the greatest inspiration he’s ever known or lead to the ruination of everything he’s worked for.

It took a bit for me to really get into this story as I didn’t really find Cantor to be all that likable at first, but he grew on me. I especially loved the caretaking dynamic in the relationship that grew between Cantor and Max and how each was so well-suited to shoring up the other’s weak points. These two were an actual team and I found that endearing as well as sexy.

Sold to the Duke- Joanna Shupe

Since her brother died and failed to leave any provision for his sisters, Lady Eliza has now gone from the high society daughter of an earl to a life of poverty. She and her sister, Fanny, have survived well enough in London’s East End, but Fanny’s weak lungs mean she can’t work and needs medical care which they can ill afford. Eliza decides to use the last option she has and sell her virginity to get the money they need, only to be recognized by one of her brother’s friends at the auction. Lucien, the Duke of Blackwood, is shocked to see Eliza and bids to keep her away from the depraved marquess who seeks her company, only to find that Eliza isn’t interested in being rescued but would prefer to conduct their business exchange and be on her way.

I’m sad to say that this was my least favorite of the bunch, which is a real shock to me especially since this is the only MF couple in the whole collection. Eliza just didn’t do it for me as a heroine. She was maybe a bit overdrawn and the ‘men control everything’ aspect of this book was very heavy handed and got very old, very quickly, especially in such a short book. We know men control most everything; it doesn’t need to be repeated ad nauseum. Other than that, I also had a hard time believing a pampered society debutante would find her way so easily in the East End and that she’d be truly happy there. Eliza just put her illusion of independence above all else to the point of being illogical and I found that disappointing, along with her reaction to Lucien’s secret. As usual, I wanted more communication between the MCs and was sad when we got unreasonable stubbornness instead, though I will say I was happy with the ending, nonetheless.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2683724343

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4351583652