Normally I enjoy this author a lot more than I did with this story. I find her work to be amusing and entertaining, and while this story did have those elements in places, there was a lot more that needed to be hashed out in order for this one to really hit the mark for me.

To begin with, poor Gladys. You couldn't help but sympathize with her plight. She was a wallflower who, despite being on the marriage mart for four years, only had one marriage proposal, and her suitor made it very clear that he didn't actually want to marry her; no, he wanted the piece of land that made up her dowry. So, of course, when she is crushed against a notorious rake in the dark, and he tells her he has been waiting for her, she assumes that he, in fact, meant her, and it wasn't a case of mistaken identity. So she allows him to kiss her and ruin her hairstyle. In fact, she not only goes back into the ballroom with leaves in her hair (and why did no one oust here, there, and then), but she goes so far as to deny the marriage proposal of the other man believing that Medford will come for her. But of course, he doesn't, and she is ruined. Cast out by her family with nothing to her name and no means of acquiring a suitable position. So she soon resorts to working at a brothel.

Fast forward five years, and she is now not only a well-known courtesan (although not well known enough apparently for Medford to know of her even though they both reside in London and his acquaintances know of her), but she has saved enough money to "retire" from her profession as well. She also seems to have absolutely no trauma in regard to her past and the things she was forced to endure in order to survive. A little unrealistic, but I'll go with it. Mainly because she is also heck bent on revenge against Medford for ruining her life and costing her everything.

So I was excited to see him get what was coming to him, especially since the first time he sees her after five years? He once again accosts her in the dark (the same dark gardens as before, ironically), kisses her senseless, and still has no idea who she is, showing that while she has changed in their years apart, he has not.

And sure, the author tries to pretty it up by explaining that he believes that he is damaged goods, with an uncle who berated him and made him feel worthless, but in reality? There is no real reason for him to feel that way. If it weren't for the fact that he is never seen in the company of the same woman twice, he would be just like any other character. He enjoys his solitude. He enjoys reading historical tomes, so what? He has no mental or physical impediment that would make him unsuitable, only the ones he has stupidly imposed upon himself based on his interests and what his uncle has told him about his character.

Together, these two have an interesting chemistry. I enjoyed the way that Gladys kept him on his toes, forcing him to do ordinary things with her while still keeping their encounters to an hour or less, depending on his treatment of her. However, I really wish he would think before he opened his mouth as that could have saved them both a lot of heartache and headache.

Overall, I do believe that people will enjoy this one.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This story by Erica Ridley did not positively engage me. I am completely tired of the graphic sex and the 'love' story wasn't enough to compensate for my disappointment. I'll pass on more.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This one is a disappointment, I read the first in this series and very much enjoyed it, but this one-no-it just totally misses the mark.
Gladys is a naive debutante (believable) and imagines herself in love after a kiss in a dark garden from a total stranger, a well known rake. Ok, still ok, but from that point on it is straight downhill. To say that Reuben is a sniveling, self-centered, narcissist would be giving him a compliment . He goes his merry way after delivering the kiss that ruins Gladys without a second thought and when they meet years later I see nothing to show he thought of her or had done anything worth his redemption.! And as far as Gladys' family is concerned, they too are awful self-centered hateful individuals only concerned with themselves and how they appear in society. And it was a little unbelievable how right there in the middle of the town festival they abandon Gladys, literally and physically turning their backs on her and casting her out into the streets! Unreal, honestly!
There is too much about this book I had issues with, I am not going to list them all. Just not the story for me despite how I liked the first in the series. I do not recommend this one. Hopefully the next will be better.
Thank you to Web Motion and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

It's a good romance, with a rake that's a lot more than meets the eye and a former wallflower out for revenge. But I honestly felt like parts of it were missing because the characters mention things happening but we don't get to experience them. I'm not saying I want to read about how awful Gladys' life is after her parents cruelly turn her away, but I would have liked a little more depth to support the plot.
The plot is pretty straightforward as we first meet Gladys Bell during an event meant for girls to find husbands leads to her making an innocent mistake that gets her turned away from her family and by society. The mistake just happens to be a case of mistaken identity with Reuben Medford, the ton’s most notorious rake, not that anyone would believe the mousy wallflower, but it definitely makes Reuben the target of Gladys' revenge plan. The plan to make him fall in love with her and then dump him in the most humiliating way possible is actually fun and makes for some great moments with the actually not-so-rakish Reuben trying to figure out his true feelings for Gladys.
It's a solid read with a very romantic ending, I just wish it was a little bit more.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and WebMotion for the read!

Great book! I enjoyed the witty exchanges between the two as Gladys was trying to exact her revenge on Reuben for ruining her reputation years ago. Taming the Rake is novella length and a quick, entertaining read.

Great book! I enjoyed the witty exchanges between the two as Gladys was trying to exact her revenge on Reuben for ruining her reputation years ago. Taming the Rake is novella length and a quick, entertaining read.

I loved Erica Ridley's novellas in the Siren's Retreat Quartet series, and was hoping for a similar attention to characterization, setting, and dialog here, but this novella didn't quite work for me. Occasionally the banter between the MC's is sly and clever, but character development, especially of Reuben, is lacking. If he had changed as a person and genuinely looked for Gladys during the 5 years she'd worked as a popular courtesan (it's rather unbelievable that he didn't bump into her in London if he were really a rake) he would have earned a bit of redemption. But he's shallow and self-centered until around the 75% mark, and I didn't buy him as the shy bookish type. The idea that he was in his early 31's with no self-esteem based on his uncle's apathetic attitude toward him as a child just didn't sway me.

Gladys is of course a much more sympathetic character. One thing that bothered me toward the end is the irony that, based on her ruined reputation and former vocation, she's someone Reuben would have a challenge marrying even if he wanted to, is only mentioned once. When Gladys finds out Reuben has a house in Mayfair, she mentions wryly how exclusive that area is. Someone with a past as a courtesan couldn't simply ingratiate herself into the ton. But Reuben just grovels, gives a pretty speech, and they have their HEA.

Overall, I think the subject matter is too complex for such a short book to do justice to.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own.

The second book in the Lords in Love series. Rake Reuben Medford trifled with the wrong woman when he ruined Miss Gladys Bell. She will get her revenge. I enjoyed seeing their story with all their ups and downs get a happy ending. The story is well written with a great storyline that flows smoothly across the pages. I want to read the next book. I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book was way over the top for me from Gladys' parent's and sister's reaction to her new career and her revenge plan. The fact she still had "feelings" for someone she had spent probably less than 30 minutes with was ridiculous. Definitely not the author's finest tale.

This is the second installment of a wonderful series, Lords in Love. I always love reading books by Ms Ridley, so I did not hesitate to pick this up, and I was not disappointed! Gladys has spent her life resigned to being a wallflower, then suddenly one passionate night changes everything. She believes she has finally found her match and innocently assumes he, Reuben Medford, will approach her father and ask for her hand. But the despicable rake never shows up, and Gladys is left with a broken heart and ruined reputation. And to top it off, her parents cast her out and left her all alone. Forced to support herself, she becomes a courtesan. Five years later, Gladys and Reuben's paths cross again, and Gladys is determined to get her revenge for Reuben's lack of honor. She plans to have him fall in love with her, then break his heart. Of course, things don't necessarily go according to plan.
The story was entertaining and well-written. While I didn't like the fact that Gladys was forced into the role of courtesan, I did love the person it made her, more independent and ready to stick up for herself. I of course did not like Reuben at all to start with, but I think he redeemed himself well. All in all, an enjoyable addition to the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a very different historical romance read for me. I haven’t read one where the heroine is treated quite so poorly before.

Gladys definitely deserves better parents, friends and even hero in my opinion. The life she’s forced into definitely changes her and when she has a chance for revenge five years after her trauma I was cheering her on. Reuben wasn’t my favourite hero from this author but I did enjoy the story.

I wasn't a big fan of this book. I didn't really like the main characters. It was all jsut kinda blah for me. Ridley's books don't circulate that well at my library, so this is an additional purchase, not a must-buy.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Gladys Bell, a naive wallflower, has never had a suitor but a chance encounter with a wicked rake who tells her she is the woman of his dreams makes her believe she has found true love. She believes that he will offer for her in the morning, but instead all she found was a terrible scandal that ruined her. After her family disowns her, and she turns to prostitution to support herself she has vowed revenge on the rake who ruined her life. He will pay for what he's done to her.

I think Erica Ridley is such a wonderful storyteller, and I really enjoyed this one. First, her family is so freaking awful. Probably one of the worst families I have ever read. Screw them. Even though they sucked, I thought Gladys was great! Once she meets Reuben she really makes him work for her attention. She constantly pretends to be bored, giving him barely any of her time, and actually sets timers for their time together. She acts so disinterested in him that he has no choice but to fall desperately in love with her. There was a great push and pull between these two. A lot of internal conflict and depth in the characters, and great writing that I have come to expect from Erica Ridley. I would whole-heartedly recommend this one.

Reuben Medford has never had love. He doesn't know what it is. A mistake on his part destroys a young lady's reputation and banishment. Five years later she seeks her revenge against him. As they enjoy each other during the May Day Matchmaking Festival, what started as revenge, brings back the love she felt five years ago for Reuben. Reuben has a lot to think about when he discovers the young woman, he never forgot is the woman he is losing today. He just has to figure out how to win her for the future.A good read with a bit of humor involving time.
Heat level 3.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Self-doubt is not an exclusive situation for women, men can be just as hurt by words and those closest to us are the ones that hurt most.
Our hero (not at first) and heroine seem to meet cute, but it goes sideways fast. The wallflower thinks the most handsome man she's ever seen is overtaken with lust for her. He kissed her in the garden, didn't he? Well that means marriage, doesn't it? The hero is there for a clandestine meeting with a stranger, she'd been writing him. There are the makings of a screwball comedy of errors but this isn't funny at all. He's been told what a failure he is all his life so he's living down to it. Thank goodness Gladys doesn't actually go through with he revenge plan, maybe a little bit. We get an HEA but it was a bumpy emotional ride.
I voluntarily read read and reviewed and ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#TamingtheRake #LordsinLove #EricaRidlet #Netgalley #historicalromance #romance

I adored this new release from Erica Ridley, it is the second book in the Lords in Love series that Ridley is writing with Darcy Burke, and I found it to be a lovely addition to this series that revolves around a small country town's matchmaking festival. Ridley is a master storyteller, I find her writing to be compulsively readable and her characters to be relatable. This novel has two interesting characters at its center, with a plot the drives quickly forward. This novel is balance between character development and discovery with a revenge plot that puts our heroine on her mission. This is a novella, so it is a quick read, easy to devour in one sitting, and while it might not be for everyone, it definitely worked for me.

Our heroine is a wallflower, who many see as plain, so during a ball during the matchmaking festival she and her family are attending, her wildest fantasy for romance are awaked with one kiss. But in the end this scandalous glimpse into desire, leaves her disowned by her family and she must learn to survive in whatever way she can. Now five years later, she has archived a level of security for herself, she is back to seek revenge on the man who forced her life on the path she had to take. I found our heroine to be strong and a survivor. Watching her come into her own is gratifying on its own, and then watching how she breaks down the walls of the hero becomes the catalyst for the plot of this novel. Watching these two who both have baggage and misunderstanding, tempt and flirt and open themselves up to each other is interesting and ultimately romantic. These two through their actions learn a lot about themselves and each other. They must both learn to except the past and move forward by themselves and together.

I really enjoyed this novel, and if you love Erica Ridley, I think you will find something to love. I am so excited to continue reading on in this series, I think that Ridley and Burke's styles both compliment each other really nicely!

Well, this one had a lot of potential for me. The premise promised a great revenge story: a woman ruined who holds the man to account. That got me to snag this book.

However, the execution was far too rushed and also didn't go deep enough into what the heroine went through. I can't imagine the trauma and hard decisions she had to make.. and I feel like we gloss over it. Which left out a depth that I feel like this story should have had.

It also made it hard to like the hero and understand how we could forgive him so quickly at the end.

This story had powerful bones for me but no meat on them.

The longer (and quite sweary) full review is at my blog, but the short version: I DNFed at 25% because the idea of spending any time with the hero was raising my blood pressure. I read the last chapter and epilogue, and it only got worse from my point of view.

I was most upset because I quite liked the heroine, and Ms Ridley's writing voice.

(full review at the link below--reader beware)

On the whole, this story just made me sad. Poor Gladys was disowned by her family and thrown out onto the streets after an innocent and unexpected romantic encounter with renowned rake, Reuben, at a societal event. Penniless and homeless, Gladys becomes a courtesan to survive. While I could appreciate her ashes to phoenix story, I hated her family and circumstances that they would reject her outright.

Rueben’s own story was also sad. But I had a hard time believing his instant attraction to a faceless woman. While he was oblivious to his causation of Gladys’ ruin, I don’t think he did enough groveling to get back into Gladys’ good graces.

I chuckled at Gladys’ use of an hourglass with her meetings with Reuben. I really appreciated the unveiling scene where Gladys tells Rueben how his actions directed her path. But I had a difficult time believing Gladys’ affection to Reuben after all her bitterness and revenge plan.

I always enjoy Erica Ridley’s books and this one was not an exception.
All her life, Miss Gladys Bell was a wallflower whose parents despaired of her ever attracting a suitor. Then she met the man of her dreams, who said she was the woman of his. One passionate night later, Gladys awaits a marriage proposal that never comes. Reuben Medford, the ton’s most notorious rake, doesn’t even remember her name.
Thanks to his cold-hearted callousness, Gladys lost her reputation, her dowry, and her chance at love. But now she’s back, and bent on revenge. He’s trifled with the wrong woman: This wallflower has thorns. Once Gladys holds that damnable rake’s arrogant, fickle heart in her hands… She’ll crush it, just as he did to her.
I have mix feelings about this book. I read it in one siting, so I can absolutely say it was a page-turner for me. Erica has a marvelous pen, so it’s really easy to get lost in her stories. But at the same time, all of it made me soooo sad. The Gladys from the beginning of the book is so sweet and innocent. After a disastrous night (OMG what a despicable family) her life chances forever but I didn´t like the new Gladys. I get she was looking for revenge, but she just seemed stuck in the past.
Reuben is a character that’s no easy to love. A rake through and through. He has his motives to be the way he is but they were not enough for me. I could feel his loneliness and that made me sad too. I think that they work together at the end of the story, but I was still mourning they first night in the gardens when they were young and naïve.
I’m always a sucker for books that make feel deep and engaged. This one absolutely did both things.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.