The Perfect Rake (Merridew Series)

Anne Gracie makes a great romance about two different people coming together. Gideon Carradice is one of the more handsome rakes in London, and is thrown for a loop one morning when he goes down to breakfast and confronted by Prudence Merridew a fiery, and enigmatic woman who is desperate to keep the lie she told her great uncle Oswald to get her and her sisters away from their abusive grandfather going. She slowly tells the situation to Gideon and his cousin, his cousin falling for her sister. But before he can wed the sister Prudence has to wed, their great uncle's condition for all his nieces if they stay with him and he gives them a season. Prudence though is still in love with the man who works for her grandfather, the man who gave her his family ring and his word he would come back and they would wed. But as time goes on Gideon finds the determined, and brave woman everything he could ever want in a wife, and Prudence after finding out her first love wasn't worth a minute of her time soon learns that this rake is everything she could need or want. Anne Gracie makes an enthralling, enjoyable romance.

I always like Anne Gracie books. Skillful intelligent writing, typically engaging characters. But this book has the one element her books often lack - humor! And this elevates this book over most of her other work.

Just a content warning before going any further, there is abuse (physical) in this book. That being said, I haven't picked up a romance book in a long time, I just burnt out one day, but have recently been enjoying Regency romances. I had Googled "fat heroines" and this book was recommended through Goodreads. While I wouldn't say the main female character was fat, she did not fit the usual trope so that was refreshing. The book has some steam, has some heat, but it is not overdone. I thought there could be some more development of the characters, and there are some plot holes, but nothing so much that it would ruin the flow of the story. The dialog was enjoyable, and I agree with another reviewer there was some laugh out loud moments. I have never read Anne Gracie before and I am very interested in reading more of her writing.

This is a heartwarming story. There are many laugh out loud moments. Love Anne Gracie and LOVE this book!

I'm always on the lookout for a great historical romance, and I found it with this book. Fabulous dialogue and a strong story and characters. I highly recommend it.

Ever since I read "Tallie's Knight," I've had an immense admiration for Anne Gracie. Here was an author who had managed to infuse her novel with romance, sensuality, tenderness and poignancy. I've always regretted that I have been unable to easily find her other romance novels, so that when I discovered that the first installment in a new series written by her was about to be published, I knew that I had to keep an eye out for this book. "The Perfect Knight" lived up to my every expectation -- here was a book full of tender romance, sensuality and poignancy, complete with a touch of the gothic. Ever since their parents tragic death, the Merridew sisters have been living with their brutal and heartless grandfather, Lord Dereham. A man driven almost mad with bitterness and anger, Dereham has been beating his five granddaughters for years, as well as isolating them from society. Finally escaping from their mad grandfather, the Merridew sisters make for London and for their granduncle Oswald's house, where they hope that he will launch the elder sisters into society, and where they're devoutly counting on the second Merridew sister, Charity (who happens to be exceedingly beautiful) to contract an advantageous marriage. Their plans, however, hit a snag when granduncle Oswald insists that plain jane Prudence, as the eldest sister, make her come-out before her more beautiful sisters. At her wit's end, Prudence concocts an imaginary engagement to the hermit duke, the Duke of Dinstable. But once again, Prudence's plans hit a snag when she finds, through of a comedy of errors and mistaken identities (you really have to read the book to appreciate this plot gambit), she finds herself engaged in earnest (in her granduncle's mind at least) to the duke's rakish and sinfully handsome cousin, Lord Carradice. As Prudence tries to distance herself and protect her susceptible heart from this engaging rouge, a very smitten Lord Carradice tries to persuade the plain and courageous Prudence Merridew that he has fallen in love in earnest, and that she was fashioned solely for him. Will Lord Carradice succeed in his endeavours? Certainly the poor man has his work cut out for him... "The Perfect Rake" turned out to be a stellar read, and is definitely going on my keeper shelf. I've always had a soft spot for novels where either the hero or heroine was considered to be plain and was quickly dismissed as not being up to snuff by the sharks that seemed to congregate at Almacks. So that "The Perfect Rake" was truly my cup of tea. The novel was a standout because of several factors -- good storyline, witty and humourous prose style, wonderful hero & heroine, the sensual heat that the hero & heroine generated, and in particular for the tenderness of the love that developed between Prudence and Carradice. But what really made "The Perfect Rake" a memorable romance novel for me, was the character of its sterling and totally endearing hero, Lord Carradice, and how the autho

I didn't think I would like this book at the beginning. But I ended up loving it and it's going on my keeper shelf. I laughed myself silly at some of Prudence & Gideon conversations. In fact, I loved everybody except the brutal grandfather. As I was meant to do, of course. This is my first book by Anne Gracie. Not my last if this is any example. A perfect summer read. Or a perfect anytime read. Gideon is, indeed, the perfect rake. What a hoot!