Book Review: Her Worthy Rake by Charlotte Anne

Thank you, NetGalley and Escape Publishing, for the chance to read and review the ARC for Her Worthy Rake by Charlotte Anne.

Her Worthy Rake comes out on the 1st of January. The book will be published by Escape Publishing which is a part of Harlequin Books, which in turn is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Australia.

Review:

On the surface, the elements in this book were good and should have worked. A woman is looking for her twin brother, who goes missing after being forced to fight for his country after committing a crime without having the chance to say goodbye. As she looks for him, entering a life of genteel poverty, she comes across a family willing to help her and falls in love with the man who (accidentally) pushed her into the Thames. We also have a queer character and a subplot regarding publishing a pattern book.

All of this should have worked, but it didn’t. For a book that is under 300 pages, it kept going on and on. It was so utterly boring that it’ll be a while before I read another regency romance. I hated the twin brother they worked so hard to save; he didn’t get enough trouble for what he did. Like he gets a hug and gets to go away. Not one note to his sister? No attempt to use the money he has that could help his sister and everyone else? I also don’t enjoy how quickly they got the publisher to give up E.E., given how long he seems to have held out. I liked the dog, though. He had more personality than all the other characters.

On that note, armpit licking and boots staying on are things I will never understand. That was also incredibly specific, and I didn’t need to know that!

Blurb:

Sparkling Regency romance full of wit, warmth and mystery from a fabulous new voice. If you like Georgette Heyer or all things Bridgerton, you’ll love this.

Is falling for this rake a mistake?

Owen Tattershall might not have a title or immeasurable wealth like other gentlemen of his ilk, but he does have rather excellent taste in the waistcoat department-and taste counts for a lot amongst the ton. It also doesn’t hurt that his adopted mother is the dowager Marchioness of Faye and his kind-of-cousin is the Duke of Woodhal. Unfortunately, prestige didn’t save his family from the ravages of war, and now what’s left is held together by nothing more than heartbreak, hope and bravado. To keep his memories of the war at bay, Owen immerses himself in his work … until the day Sophy Calder comes colliding into his life.

Sophy has been fending for herself ever since her twin brother was press ganged to fight against Napoleon’s forces. But the war ended almost two years ago, and still he hasn’t returned. Knowing something dreadful has happened, Sophy is determined to find her missing brother, even if it means infiltrating the world that snatched him from her. But when she encounters Owen, she quickly finds her growing attraction for the only man who’s taken her seriously threatening her long-mastered control.

An addictive romp from start to finish, this delightful Regency romance is set in the world of The Unworthy Duke, but is a standalone read.

PRAISE FOR CHARLOTTE ANNE:

‘Secrets and scars that run deep … a delightful Regency twist on Beauty and the Beast!’ -Alison Stuart, author of The Postmistress

‘Charming characters, witty banter, a delightful romp from a sparkling new voice in historical romance.’ -Allison Butler, author of the Borderland Brides series