Series: League of Scoundrels, #2
Traits & Tropes: spy; bluestocking; forced proximity; instant attraction
Publication Date: 12.28.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; Scotland, 1897
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up
Rafe Davies is London’s favorite and most charming rake, but that’s all a façade to hide his status as a key agent working for the crown. He’s a bit reckless, but that has always worked in his favor on missions. When his latest assignment brings him to a Scottish house party and into the orbit of Miss Sylvia Sparrow, a proper and tart-mouthed lady’s companion, Rafe is, perhaps for the first time, truly distracted from his mission.
Sylvia has no interest in getting involved with a man again since she previously placed her trust in the wrong one and it led to her utter ruination. She’s determined to avoid Rafe at all costs, but that proves impossible and when she learns he’s hiding unexpected facets of his character, she can no longer ignore the blazing attraction between them. But soon Sylvia suspects she isn’t the only one at the party with something to hide and that Rafe is a danger to more than just her fragile heart.
I both read and listened to this book, and I have to say, as usual for me really, the narration really helped draw me into the story and especially keep in mind who was a member of the upper crust of society. There was a lot going on here and definitely more mystery than I had expected, but this was a good thing. Something about the narrator’s voice also helped me really feel and believe the tension and essentially immediate connection between Rafe and Sylvia and drew emphasis to how irresistible each found the other. Rafe and Sylvia were certainly an odd couple, but I think they challenged each other to want and expect more and to make the changes and adjustments to their own thinking and actions to make it work between them. That, friends, is what relationships are all about and that aspect made this very real for me. With all the obstacles between Rafe and Sylvia, I was nervous about this ending and worried I would wind up unsatisfied with how things were left, especially given that they were separated for a bit, but thankfully everything was brought together splendidly in the end, and I was very pleased. I loved the setting of this book, at a house party in a Scottish lowland castle, and the multi-layered hero and mystery elements really worked for me, and the pacing was quick enough to hold my interest. I don’t think I loved this quite as much as the first book in the series, but it is still an excellent follow-up, especially considering that the first book is on another level for me as a true favorite. Nonetheless, I loved learning more about the real Rafe beneath the playboy façade and I was happy to see him teach Sylvia about real relationships with trust while she helped him see areas where he could make a real difference. This was an excellent read/listen and I’m excited for the next book and hoping to find out what’s going on between Georgiana and Henry.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and its audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2198605352
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3962645554
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