Never Romance a Rake

Mademoiselle Marchand (Camille) is a desperate woman. She is a French woman in England and she needs to marry an English "blue blood" within the next six weeks to get her inheritance. And she will even get more if she is able to have a child within two years. She has revealed part of this to her wastrel father but not all, for which she is glad when he offers her hand in marriage as part of a card game. Luckily Baron Rothewell decides to save this damsel in distress and throws the game thus giving himself a betrothed. But, he is clear with her that he plans to not change any of his rakehell ways and that is the bargain that he is willing to offer. But, no matter what his intent is he can't seem to keep his eyes off Camille and she seems to be losing the one thing she is most afraid of, her heart. Can they work things out and work together for their goals before it is too late? Wow, Never Romance A Rake had more of a happy ending that even I expected. This is the third book in Ms. Carlyle's latest trilogy and I thoroughly enjoyed the overall story. I was especially intrigued by the medical terms, diagnoses etc. that were discussed during the story. Never Romance A Rake also takes you briefly onto more than one continent it tells some of what is happening in France and the West Indies during this same time. I found how Ms. Carlyle ties all of these facets together to be fun. This book has it all, headstrong women and men, growing love and an engagement via. a card game. I enjoyed Never Romance A Rake and think other historical romance fans will also, especially with the overall twists and turns their "bargain" takes. Tanya Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Liz Carlyle creates two lovers with complex dark histories. Kieran suffered horrendous physical abuse as a child at the hands of his uncle. Now carrying a guilty secret, he is killing himself with liquor and fast living in London. Camille was abandoned by her father and betrayed by her mother. She wants to ensure that she will never be at the mercy of anyone again. In what they believe is a marriage of convenience, they inch toward trusting and loving each other and toward having hope for the future, taking two steps forward and one back. Their story is complex and believable and utterly captivating.

The story line is already described elsewhere in reviews. I did find it credible, unlike a couple of other reviewers. The author has already developed the character of our Rake, Kieran in other stories, but does a thorough job of reintroducing us to him and giving us his back story. I had no problem believing that he wanted to rescue Camille and that he had the "mine" reaction of desire to her immediatly. I also found Camille's reaction to Kieran, her stomach hitting bottom, and a reaction of desire believable. I confess a bias toward this author's books. I love her characters; the reintrodction of these "old friends" as I think of them, in successive books. Ms. Carlyle is an excellent writer, and thank the gods she has incredible editors. I never get sidetracked by offensive grammatical and typographic errors. I find all of the love scenes well done and HOT; and the interactions between the characters very realistic. She is an author that does the rare thing for me, her characters take on life and make the story multidimensional not just a flat read. Unless she changes radically, I will be a fan for life.

One game, one card decides the fate of two lives. Kieran, Baron Rothwell, is used to high stakes games. But little does he realize that this particular wager is one that will effect his life forever. The rake immerses himself in gambling, drinking and loose women -they make the past guilt and grief more bearable. This one particular woman who is offered, however, is different. She's an innocent lady. And Kieran will be damned if he lets her suffer with her conniving father any longer. This is one hand that he must win. The beautiful Mademoiselle Camille Marchand just wants the whole blasted thing over. She knows that these men her father has assembled have no honor. Men never do -she learned that growing up with her mother. But she needs one of the drunken fools to fulfill the terms of her grandfather's will before time runs out. Only soon afterwards do Kieran and Camille realize that they may have gotten into something more than the simple wager bargained for. Another very good book from Carlyle. Many of her hero's in previous books suffer from some sort of childhood abuse and/or guilt. Never Romance A Rake is no exception. In fact Kieran suffers from both as well as being seriously physically ill. The debase rogue leads a troubled and demoralizing lifestyle. And suffers for it. Hardly the stuff of dreams for a historical romance reader. Ah! But we love to reform our rakes! And Carlyle always does it so well, managing to take the lowest of the low and make them lovable. Then we have our heroine, Camille, who unlike other rake-reforming-women, is cynical and emotionless with a troubled past as well. She doesn't care to change any man, least of all the scoundrel Keiran. Camille is simply numb to men. And here as well Carlyle does a superb job turning her around, making these two suffering protagonists find love together. So if you liked Carlyle's previous slightly-darker-than-your-average-romance books, then you might like Never Romance A Rake too. Its a bit slower paced and more melodramatic/depressing than the average historical romance but good reading none the less. I think this one is the best in the series, although as a whole her *Devil series* The Devil You Know, A Deal With the Devil, The Devil to Pay is her best work IMHO. I also recommend these books for readers who enjoy books with *hero illness*- When He Was Wicked (Bridgerton Family Series) One Perfect Rose (Fallen Angels)

When children are abused, they often grow up to abuse others, especially their own children, who they see as an imperfect reflection of themselves. Others, when abused, turn the anger inward and may grow up with a wall around them, hoping to make them impervious to hurt by keeping others out of their sphere. Kieran, Baron Rothewell appears to me to be such a one. The saving of him is the result of the appearance of the beautiful Mademoiselle Camille Marchand, a woman who has seen hardship herself. Time and circumstance are twin hands that shape the destiny of these two people. Camille suffers the indignity of being sold/wagered in a card game by her very own father. Kieran, partly from his desire for her and partly because his belief that he is mortally ill has made him vulnerable, saves her. Though neither has dared dream of true love, their journey toward that end makes this book a page-turner. Kieran's tentative walk from his dark life into the light is like watching a birth. For Carlyle fans old and new, I recommend Never Romance a Rake without reservation.